Matchday 15 - Wolfsburg and Kovac breathe a sigh of relief after victory in Darmstadt
Coach Niko Kovac can breathe a sigh of relief at VfL Wolfsburg. His team landed a fortunate and lackluster 1:0 (0:0) victory at SV Darmstadt 98 in the Bundesliga and won again for the first time after three recent defeats in all competitions.
The Croatian Lovro Majer scored the goal in the 63rd minute. However, the club from Lower Saxony had little else to play for in front of 16,900 spectators at the Böllenfalltor. In addition, Maxence Lacroix was shown red for an emergency brake after less than half an hour.
After just one win from their last eight league games, the former European Cup contenders can go into their final game of the year against FC Bayern on Wednesday with a little more courage. Darmstadt, who are bottom of the table, have now gone eight games without a three-pointer.
Protest by the fans
As in other stadiums, fans protested on banners and with abusive chants against the entry of investors into the German Football League. In addition, the match was interrupted by referee Robert Hartmann for a few minutes after a quarter of an hour because Wolfsburg fans were burning pyrotechnics in their block.
Darmstadt tried to defy their many failures with passion and discipline. "We're whistling from the last hole. But as long as we can still whistle, we're still alive," said coach Torsten Lieberknecht before the match. The Lilies' last win came on October 7 with a 2:1 victory in Augsburg, and this time they also suffered a frustrating setback.
Lieberknecht's colleague Kovac was of course aware of the seriousness of the situation. "At the moment, everything is going in the wrong direction. I know that too. We have to. I have to," he said on Sky TV before kick-off. Even though managing director Marcel Schäfer and supervisory board chairman Frank Witter had recently backed their head coach.
Early sending off
For a long time, the home side had little trouble stopping the rather timid attacking efforts of their opponents. It played into the Lilies' hands that not only were captain Maximilian Arnold missing due to a yellow card suspension, but Lacroix was also sent off early on (27'). The Frenchman was the last man to foul Luca Pfeiffer. It was the most exciting scene of a tense first half.
After the break, Riedle Baku suddenly released Majer with a fine through pass, but the 25-year-old missed a great chance to take the lead. Goalscorer Jonas Wind had a go from the halfway line and just missed the home side's goal. Majer was then on hand to make it 1-0 with a low shot after Wind's assist. VfL keeper Koen Casteels saved the three points for his team with a brilliant save from Pfeiffer in the closing stages.
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- Despite Niko Kovac leading FC Bayern Munich in Bavaria, his previous team, VfL Wolfsburg, managed a narrow victory in Darmstadt, boosting their morale before their encounter against Bayern.
- The European Cup winners of the past, VfL Wolfsburg, secured a 1:0 victory against SV Darmstadt 98, powered by a goal from Lovro Majer in the Bundesliga.
- With their win against Darmstadt, VfL Wolfsburg managed to break their three-game losing streak in all competitions, and Maxence Lacroix's early red card presented an additional advantage.
- Darmstadt, currently at the bottom of the Bundesliga table, faced a tough challenge against Niko Kovac's Wolfsburg but endured yet another frustrating defeat after their previous victory against Augsburg.
- Fans from both clubs voiced their concerns about foreign investment in the German Football League, prompting protests and interrupting the game due to pyrotechnics set off by the Wolfsburg supporters.
- In the absence of Maximilian Arnold and with Maxence Lacroix receiving an early red card, SV Darmstadt 98 had to face a challenging task against VfL Wolfsburg, and their discipline and passion were not enough to secure a victory.
- Coached by Torsten Lieberknecht, Darmstadt showed resilience in the face of adversity, similar to how former Bayern Munich manager Niko Kovac might feel with the poor performance of his current team.
- In an attempt to regain their form, VfL Wolfsburg is set to face their local rivals, FC Bayern Munich, in their last game of the year, with the memory of their narrow victory against SV Darmstadt 98 boosting their confidence in the Lower Saxony derby.
Source: www.stern.de
