“That’s even nicer” (daily newspaper Junge Welt)

The balance sheet of the little neighbor already briefly stumbled Oliver Glasner. “18 games,” said the successful Eintracht Frankfurt coach, impressed, Darmstadt 98 was already unbeaten before the Hessen derby in the round of 16 of the DFB Cup. No, no, someone shouted at him, there were even 20 games without defeat. “20?” Glasner asked in astonishment, “that’s even nicer.”

80 meters behind

In the Champions League round of 16, you should be careful of the second division leader. Also because the whole region is looking forward to the long-gone neighborhood duel. Frankfurt is on a roll, Darmstadt anyway – only the reports about planned brawls, prevented attacks by hooded fans on opposing supporters or graffiti on fan shops dampen the mood in advance.

The fear of riots seems justified. Fan groups of both clubs are said to have arranged to have a brawl on the day of the match. This is only claimed by Springers Boulevard, but in view of the events on Friday evening it seems quite credible. According to their own statements, the police had prevented an attack on Darmstadt fans at the train station in Bickenbach in southern Hesse, around 80 hooded Eintracht supporters had ambushed the unsuspecting rivals in an underpass. Violent clashes had always occurred in the duels in the past, and the more radical Frankfurt fan circles in particular are notorious not only in the surrounding area. “Of course there is a rivalry,” said SGE sports director Markus Krösche Frankfurter Rundschau. But “no incidents should happen where people get injured,” Lilien goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen demanded FFH-Interview the obvious.

The underdog has hopes, Borussia Mönchengladbach had previously been thrown out. “If you compare the game with a 100-meter run, we are 80 meters behind,” said Darmstadt President Rüdiger Fritsch HRinterview, but “of course it could happen that shortly before the finish line the shoelaces come undone and a crash landing takes place at Eintracht”.

Self-confidence in the luggage

There is probably no other way to stop the Bundesliga top scorer Randal Kolo Muani, who is being courted at the moment. But despite top form, Eintracht needed more than “three climbers and four hooks,” said Glasner, Darmstadt finally had “an amazing offensive.”

Especially since the lilies have every reason to start the 30-kilometer journey with plenty of self-confidence in their luggage. Despite worrying about injuries, they got back on track after the long winter break and routinely dealt with the league competition from Regensburg (2-0) and Sandhausen (4-0). This season, coach Torsten Lieberknecht’s team isn’t playing as unconditionally offensive as in the previous season, when they just barely missed relegation. On the other hand, the lilies manage to control their games through better structures, and they are also extremely efficient in front of the opposing goal. This has so far always been able to cushion new failures by service providers. Against Eintracht, Lieberknecht will have to do without two of the best players of the second division season so far in central defender Patric Pfeiffer and full-back Matthias Bader.

Meanwhile, those responsible in Darmstadt are practicing understatement as usual: “I would find it stupid if we were slaughtered,” said Fritsch, but: “If we create a total sensation, I would at least not leave the stadium crying.” Maybe , Lieberknecht added, one could trip up the “overall favourite” – and not only cause Glasner to stumble.