Dhe 1. FC Kaiserslautern secured a point after catching up in the game of the second Bundesliga against SV Darmstadt 98, but missed the even possible victory. In front of 38,380 spectators in the Fritz Walter Stadium, the game ended on Sunday after being 2-0 down and the Palatinate leading 3-2 3-3 (0-1).
Up to the 74th minute, the Hessians looked like the sure winner. The guests practically took the lead at half-time when Tobias Kempe converted a penalty kick (45+2). Philipp Tietz scored four minutes after the restart to make it 2-0.
Fifteen minutes before the end, events on the Betzenberg came to a head. First Kenny Prince Redondo headed in to make it 1-2 (74′), two minutes later Mike Wunderlich scored with a penalty kick to make it 2-2. Just before the final whistle, Redondo shook the stadium when he completed a counterattack to make it 3-2, but Aaron Seydel equalized for the visitors in added time.
No winner in Hamburg
Promoted 1. FC Magdeburg meanwhile got their first home win. The people of Elbestadt won 2-1 (1-1) against the first division relegated Spielvereinigung Greuther Fürth, which is still without a win at the end of the table. Magdeburg climbed up to 15th place with the win. In front of 18,955 spectators, newcomer Cristiano Piccini (37th) put FCM ahead, Damian Michalski (42nd) equalized almost immediately. Moritz Kwarteng secured the first home win in the 86th minute with a remarkable long-range shot.
Magdeburg started with a new back four with Piccini and Herbert Bockhorn, who were only committed at the beginning of the week. Despite their best efforts, both teams found it difficult to get into the game. So standards had to ensure goals: Fürth couldn’t clear a corner properly, a long-range shot from Kwarteng made goalkeeper Andreas Linde bounce and newcomer Piccini dusted off to take the lead. The guests immediately switched to more offensive, were now much more present and also equalized after a corner thanks to Michalski.
After the break, the guests maintained their more active attitude. Magdeburg’s defense had a lot more work to do, even if there was still little danger from the game on either side. Neither team wanted to make the crucial mistake, nobody took the ultimate risk. Magdeburg’s Amara Condé (72′) had the best chance, but his ball only hit the crossbar. Then Kwarteng hit the right angle from 19 meters to win. The Franconians have been waiting for a win for 21 games across the season.
SV Sandhausen did not end its negative series at FC St. Pauli. Nevertheless, the 1:1 (0:1) in Hamburg was a success for the team from the Electoral Palatinate. At least they managed to equalize through David Kinsombi (71′) after St. Pauli’s captain Jackson Irvine (38′) put his team in front. However, the guests remained without a win for the seventh time in a row at the Hanseatic League.
The Hamburgers may remain unbeaten at home this season, but they are currently in tenth place in the middle of the table. SV Sandhausen has to look further down after the fifth game without a threesome. The Hamburgers were superior in front of 29,546 spectators, but did not shine. They rarely played themselves into promising positions. The captain showed himself how it’s done: After a cross from Leart Paqarada, the Australian Irvine climbed up and sank the ball into the goal.
After the break, the balance of power remained unchanged. St. Pauli controlled what was happening, Sandhausen hardly dared to do anything. All the more surprising was the equalization by former HSV player David Kinsombi after a standard situation. After that, the guests became a little more dangerous. They were unlucky in the 81st minute when Christian Kinsombi’s shot hit the post. However, FC St. Pauli could not think of much to achieve victory.
