Darmstadt – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim opened the door to Europe with a huge win against SV Darmstadt 98. The Kraichgauer team won 6-0 (5-0) with no problem when they were already relegated and set their club record for the highest Bundesliga win. Hoffenheim had only achieved such a result in the upper house in March 2018 against 1. FC Köln.
“It was a lot of fun. We came in really well and took advantage of our chances – it couldn’t be better,” said double goalscorer Maximilian Beier at DAZN. Darmstadt’s captain Marvin Mehlem, on the other hand, was completely satisfied: “The fans will probably laugh at us if I say we fought.”
The goals for Hoffenheim in front of 17,810 spectators were scored by Ihlas Bebou (2nd minute/51st), Beier (6th/44th), Pavel Kaderabek (22nd) and Ozan Kabak (26th). Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team is in seventh place before the last matchday, which means at least the playoffs of the Conference League and, at best, qualification for the Europa League. With a win against FC Bayern at the end of the season, Hoffenheim would no longer be able to take part in the European Cup. Even sixth place and possible qualification for the Champions League is still possible.
“That would be a nice moment and is our opportunity to send a big thank you to our fans,” Darmstadt coach Torsten Lieberknecht said before the game against Hoffenheim. But there was no sign of this effort on the pitch. For the Lilies it was an embarrassing Bundesliga farewell to their own audience.
Darmstadt: “Without words”
Hoffenheim played the home team at their whim. Bebou got Hoffenheim off to a lightning start, followed by Beier. His goal was initially disallowed because of an alleged offside position, but was given after checking the video evidence.
The Darmstadt fans waited in vain for a reaction from their team. The Lilies surrendered to their fate, while the Hoffenheim team continued to exude joy. Kaderabek from a tight angle, Kabak with a header from a corner and Beier again scored to make it 5-0 for TSG at half-time. With his brace and a strong performance, the 21-year-old offensive player promoted himself to national coach Julian Nagelsmann, who will name his squad for the European Championships on Thursday.
“Without words,” wrote SV Darmstadt 98 on X after the half-time whistle blew. The spectators expressed their anger with boos. But the second half started like the first – with a goal from Hoffenheim’s striker Bebou. Even after that, the game remained a one-sided affair. The Darmstadt team was lucky that the defeat wasn’t even worse.