A win against St. Pauli, a blunder from the competition: Darmstadt 98 is about to fulfill their big dream of promotion to the Bundesliga. Football history could repeat itself this weekend.
“The attacker wins games, the defense wins championships,” said legendary coach Jupp Heynckes. If Heynckes the current events in the 2nd Bundesliga follow, he will once again feel confirmed.
Because SV Darmstadt 98 could be promoted to the Bundesliga on Saturday and – towards the end of the season – also win the second division championship because they live and play strictly according to this football wisdom.
Müller: “There is always a lot of truth in these football wisdoms”
With 24 goals conceded in 30 games this season, the Lilien have by far the best defense and conceded the fewest goals in German professional football. Does this help the lilies to rise as well? “I think there is always a lot of truth in these football wisdoms, otherwise they wouldn’t last for so many years,” said central defender Jannik Müller, whose strong performances made a significant contribution to the success of southern Hesse, in a press conference on Wednesday.
Are the Lilien players now, just before the finish line, openly talking about promotion? Not even close. Müller immediately comes up with a piece of football wisdom that fits the Darmstadt football way of thinking quite well: “The next game is always the hardest.”
Says Müller and has to laugh himself. Although he’s right: FC St. Pauli, by far the best team from the second half of the season, will be coming to Darmstadt’s Böllenfalltor on Saturday (8.30 p.m.).
Darmstadt 98 can make Bundesliga promotion perfect
Jannik Müller will be sitting in front of the television the day before: “I try to watch as many second division games as possible.” On Friday evening, Darmstadt’s big rival for promotion, Hamburger SV, will play against SC Paderborn. A game that could have a big impact.
Should HSV not win their game against Paderborn and Lilien also beat St. Pauli on Saturday, the southern Hessians would be at least ten points ahead of third place in the table. If there were still three games left, that would mean the lilies were promoted to the Bundesliga early.
Defender Müller does not want to hear such calculations. Which brings us back to the topic “The next opponent is always the hardest”. Müller warned of the fighting and playing strength of FC St. Pauli. “St. Pauli are a very good team in terms of play, even in the first half of the season when things weren’t going so well there. Anyone who wins ten games in a row in the second half of the season is already very strong.”
(Ascent) history could repeat itself
Müller has been dreaming of the Bundesliga for a long time. Even as a youth player, as a boarding school student, he always drove past the 1.FC Köln stadium. One Bundesliga, that was the dream even then. Müller is now 29 years old and could finally fulfill his dream. There is a lot to be said for the fact that it really works this time.
Also the saying about the defense and the championships. Because the strong defense is the big difference to the last lily season. At that time, Darmstadt scored a lot more goals, but also conceded a lot more goals (46). The season ended unhappily with fourth place in the table and missed promotion by a hair’s breadth.
It should work this time. “We’ll defend our goal with all our passion again,” promises Müller. After all, the lilies don’t want to let their brilliant quota of just 24 goals against be destroyed. And if the lilies really nailed the climb on Saturday night, history would repeat itself: Darmstadt 98 was promoted to the Bundesliga for the last time in 2015. With a 1-0 home win. Against FC St. Pauli.