SV Waldhof Mannheim remains in crisis in the 3rd league. The Electoral Palatinate lost 1:3 (1:2) to Borussia Dortmund II on matchday 12.
After only one point from the last three meetings, coach Rüdiger Rehm’s team was under a lot of pressure against the second representative of the Bundesliga club in order to increase the gap to the relegation places again.
Only 42 seconds had been played in the Carl Benz Stadium when the pressure for Mannheim became even greater. BVB attacker Julian Hettwer was caught in the penalty area and poked the ball past Waldhof keeper Jan-Christoph Bartels into the net to make it 1-0 (1st minute).
As a result, both teams played forward, but the guests initially remained more dangerous. Dortmund’s Falko Michel made it 2-0 with a Sunday shot in the 14th minute. The 22-year-old was not attacked consistently enough in midfield and his shot from 25 meters hit the right corner.
Herrmann misses the double blow
The people of Mannheim tried to provide a quick answer. Attacker Charles Herrmann put his header after a corner a good meter past the goal (23′). Malte Karbstein did better five minutes later. The central defender pushed Kelvin Arase’s cross from a tight angle over the line to connect.
Shortly afterwards, Herrmann almost scored the double blow. The attacker’s 20-meter shot after a BVB mistake in the build-up rushed past the left (29th). It was even closer on the other side, Hettwer heaved the ball from the five-meter corner onto the post (31′). After the spectacle of the first half hour, the Waldhof were the more active team until the break, but the guests remained dangerous at all times.
Bartels saves for the Waldhof
In the second section, both teams initially fought an even duel. Dortmund had the first really good chance, but Bartels kept Mannheim in the game with a brilliant save against Ole Pohlmann (58th). A period of pressure from BVB followed: Michael Eberwein’s goal was disallowed due to an offside position (59′), then Bartels parried Rodney Elongo-Yombo’s 17-meter shot (62′).
A short time later, Bartels was also powerless. Pohlmann’s powerful shot from 18 meters bounced off the right post into the Mannheim goal – 1:3 in the 69th minute. Unlike in the first section, the Waldhof did not come back into the game.
In the majority (Dortmund’s Elongo-Yombo saw yellow-red in the 84th minute for repeated foul play), substitute Jalen Hawkins missed the connection. BVB keeper Marcel Lotka directed the offensive player’s shot around the post. Mannheim continued to apply pressure until the final whistle, but the Rehm team were unable to score again.
Waldhof travels to Unterhaching
With twelve points, the Waldhof remains in the bottom third of the table in 16th place. On the next match day, Mannheim will be visiting SpVgg Unterhaching. The kick-off for the previously strong newcomer is on Friday (October 27th, 2023) at 7 p.m.
