After a lightning deficit, SV Elversberg comes back in the 2nd Bundesliga against Darmstadt 98, turns the game around – and still gives up the lead with the majority. The 3:3 (2:3) on matchday 31 doesn’t really help either team in the promotion race.
In a crazy first half, the quick starters from Darmstadt 98 got going: Patric Pfeiffer (14th minute) and Fraser Hornby (15th) made it 2-0 for the hosts within just 58 seconds. But Elversberg kept his calm and turned the game around before the break with Tom Zimmerschied (26th), Maximilian Rohr (34th) and Lukas Petkov (45th + 4th). Before the third goal, Darmstadt’s Pfeiffer was shown a red card for an apparent emergency brake (44′).
But Darmstadt got up again and managed to equalize despite being outnumbered by Hornby (51′). After only three points from the last six games without a win, things are not looking good for the Hessians in terms of promotion. As fifth, six points behind third place, 98 has to put together a lot to attack the top.
“Everything is still possible mathematically, but these are mixed feelings“, admitted Darmstadt’s Marco Richter on the Sportschau microphone. Elversberg, on the other hand, is in fourth place with 56 points, only one point behind the top three. Nevertheless, coach Vincent Wagner gave the Sportschau a rather mixed feeling about the game: “After 20 minutes I would certainly have been happy about a 3:3, but of course not in the end after a half with the advantage.“
Two Darmstadt goals in 58 seconds
Everything had started so well for the “lilies”. Following a corner, Pfeiffer, who had moved up, extended a shot with his backheel into the far corner to make it 1-0. 98 coach Florian Kohfeldt and the fans hadn’t calmed down yet when it was already 2-0. In the build-up after the kick-off, Elversberg’s Zimmerschied played a catastrophic bad pass into Hornby’s feet and he thanked him with a shot into the goal.
Things couldn’t have gone better for Darmstadt – but they couldn’t have gone much worse afterwards. Elversberg came into the game better and better from the 20th minute onwards, had a clearer structure and greater calm on the ball. David Mokwa (24th) missed the first chance with his head after a cross from the left.
Zimmerschied compensates for his “bock”.
Shortly afterwards, things worked out better for SVE: Zimmerschied got the ball on his foot after a mix-up in the penalty area and deliberately shot in from eleven meters down the left to make it 1-2. The guests from Saarland now clearly dictated the action and were quickly rewarded with the second goal.
Rohr unleashed the hammer from over 25 meters from half left. The shot at 126 km/h was not placed, but seemed to surprise 98 goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen and hit the goal flat to make it 2-2. Immanuel Pherai (39th) missed the third goal shortly afterwards. But Elversberg got it before the break – albeit twice as happily.
Maximilian Rohr (l.) scored with a powerful long-range shot for SV Elversberg.
Elversberg turns the game around shortly before halftime
Initially, referee Richard Hempel interpreted Pfeiffer’s entry against Mokwa just before the penalty area as an emergency stop and sent the Darmstadt player off the pitch with a straight red. On the following free kick, Aleksandar Vukotic, who had just come on as a substitute for the defense, deflected Petkov’s free kick into the wall to make it 2-3.
“That’s it,” many Darmstadt residents will have thought to themselves during the break. But things turned out differently. 98 came back onto the field with ten men with more momentum than in the entire first half. Suddenly Elversberg seemed paralyzed and defended too passively. And the “lilies” took full advantage of this.
Hornby brings Darmstadt back into the game
Isac Lidberg beat two opponents with a long ball to the top on the half-left, cleverly placed the ball in the middle and Hornby was able to score his second goal of the evening and make it 3-3. Darmstadt had hope again.
After almost an hour, the next blow came: double goalscorer Hornby had to go out with a thigh injury. Both teams switched offensively in the final phase in order to perhaps take the three points. Marco Richter (87th) slashed a free kick past the Elversberg goal. Shortly afterwards, SVE keeper Nicolas Kristof wiped a touchdown out of the danger zone (88th).
In stoppage time, Elversberg also produced two upsets in front of the opposing goal. But in the end, no one managed to score the decisive goal that gave them more hope of promotion.
Darmstadt in Karlsruhe, Elversberg against Paderborn
On the 32nd matchday, Darmstadt 98 will be guests at Karlsruher SC on Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 2026, 1:30 p.m.) (1:30 p.m.). Elversberg will also meet SC Paderborn, their next direct competitor for a promotion place, at home on Sunday afternoon.
