Darmstadt's resurgence posees a significant irritation for the KSC.
Invincible on their opponents' turf: Florian Kohfeldt's SV Darmstadt draws 3-3 despite leading twice.
KSC Karlsruhe - SV Darmstadt 98 3:3 (2:1)
KSC Karlsruhe has continued to entertain but missed out on the opportunity to temporarily grab the top spot. Despite remaining undefeated thanks to the 3-3 (2-1) draw against relegated Bundesliga side Darmstadt 98, a win would have seen them momentarily take the lead. A week prior, Karlsruhe had staged an impressive comeback with a 4-4 draw against 1. FC Köln.
Goals from Dzenis Burnic (11.), Leon Jensen (28.), and Fabian Schleusener (77.) were not enough for Karlsruhe, who remain one point behind table-toppers Fortuna Düsseldorf. A win for the latter against Hamburger SV on Sunday could widen the gap. Darmstadt, on the other hand, were delighted to earn a crucial point in their fight against relegation with goals from Isac Lidberg (15.), Kai Klefisch (54.), and Aleksandar Vukotic (74.).
As anticipated, Karlsruhe kicked off with high intensity and earned a deserved 1-0 lead. Despite their dominance in possession, the Badeners were at times hesitant in defense. Following the swift equalizer, Jensen capitalized with a magnificent volley into the upper corner to regain the lead for Karlsruhe.
Karlsruhe's failure to extend their advantage proved costly. While they narrowly avoided disaster when Förster's goal was disallowed (49.), Klefisch soon levelled the score for Darmstadt. The Lilies then managed to even out the game, with goals being exchanged at both ends.
SC Paderborn - Jahn Regensburg 3:0 (1:0)
SC Paderborn remains unbeaten in the 2nd Bundesliga and temporarily claims the promotion zone. Coach Lukas Kwasniok's team secured a 3-0 (1:0) victory over Jahn Regensburg, who currently occupy the bottom spot. With this victory, they temporarily sit second behind Fortuna Düsseldorf at the start of the 8th matchday. 1. FC Magdeburg and Hannover 96 could overtake them by the weekend's end.
Sebastian Klaas (14.), Aaron Zehnter (66.), and David Kinsombi (81., penalty) were the scorers for Paderborn in front of 12,615 spectators. Regensburg was mostly pinned back and only threatened from set-pieces - Jahn still hasn't scored a goal in this league season.
Paderborn took a while to net their second goal after Klaas' impressive strike from 16 metres. This allowed Regensburg to almost catch up. Bryan Hein hit the crossbar with a free kick (61.), but soon after, Zehnter sealed the win with a goal from a tight angle.
Despite KSC Karlsruhe's high-intensity start and leading 1-0 thanks to Dzenis Burnic's goal, Florian Kohfeldt's SV Darmstadt 98 managed to draw level with Leon Jensen's stunning volley. Darmstadt then took the lead through Kai Klefisch, and despite Karlsruhe's attempts to level again, Aleksandar Vukotic secured a crucial point for the relegation-fighting team.
Despite remaining undefeated, KSC Karlsruhe missed out on the opportunity to temporarily take the top spot due to their 3-3 draw against SV Darmstadt 98, a result that kept Darmstadt's fight against relegation alive.
