DARMSTADT, GERMANY – SV Darmstadt 98 II snapped a lengthy winless streak Friday evening, defeating Türk Gücü Friedberg 5-3 in a high-scoring Hessenliga encounter. The victory, Darmstadt’s first since September 19, 2024, came at the expense of a Friedberg side that had shown signs of improvement but suffered its second defeat in three days.
Despite a promising start and three goals on the road, Türk Gücü Friedberg ultimately couldn’t overcome a resilient Darmstadt 98 II side in front of 173 spectators at the Nachwuchsleistungszentrum. The match, a back-and-forth affair, saw both teams demonstrate attacking intent, but Darmstadt’s clinical finishing proved to be the difference.
Early Lead Not Enough for Friedberg
The visitors enjoyed a dream start to the match, earning a penalty just three minutes in. Erdinc Solak, deputizing for the suspended Toni Reljic, confidently converted the spot-kick, giving Türk Gücü Friedberg an early 1-0 lead. Solak’s penalty set the tone for what initially appeared to be a positive outing for the away side.
However, Darmstadt responded just before the half-hour mark with a somewhat unfortunate equalizer. A long-range effort from Milian Herbst took a deflection off TGF goalkeeper Philipp Bagus, looping into the net to level the score at 1-1. The goal shifted the momentum, and Darmstadt began to assert themselves more prominently in the match.
Second-Half Thriller Sees Darmstadt Pull Ahead
The second half witnessed a flurry of goals as both teams traded blows. Solak once again set Friedberg ahead in the 56th minute, this time with a direct conversion from a corner kick, showcasing his set-piece prowess. But the lead was short-lived. Darmstadt striker Smail Kadrijaj leveled the score at 2-2 with a well-executed volley in the 70th minute.
The seesaw battle continued as SVD captain Mika Schlosser put the hosts in front with a powerful long-range strike in the 75th minute. Friedberg refused to surrender, and Alija Izberovic, who came on as a substitute, headed home a Solak cross in the 79th minute to restore parity at 3-3.
The decisive moment arrived in the 83rd minute when Kadrijaj converted another penalty, this time amidst some controversy, to deliver Darmstadt a 4-3 advantage. Despite a late push for an equalizer from Türk Gücü Friedberg, Darmstadt sealed the victory in added time with a counter-attacking goal from Kevin Kunstmann, making the final score 5-3.
Vetter Acknowledges Strong Opponent
Despite the defeat, Türk Gücü Friedberg manager Maik Vetter acknowledged the quality of the opposition. “We have delivered a decent game against a strong Darmstadt team,” Vetter said, as reported by fnp.de. His assessment suggests a degree of satisfaction with the performance despite the disappointing result.
Team Lineups
SV Darmstadt 98 II: Rohde; Kunstmann, Karakaya, Pfister, Meier – Jaadar, Klappich (90.+3 Jourdan), Herbst (67. Mignano), Merx – Schlosser, Kadrijaj.
Türk Gücü Friedberg: Bagus; Letica, Usic, Dudda – Henrich, Hagley (81. Matondo) – Böger (66. Izberovic), Jürgens, Yikilmaz (50. Karamaniakis) – Solak, Michel.
Match Details
Referee: Thorsten Eick (TSV Eifa).
Attendance: 173.
Goals: 0-1 Erdinc Solak (3./penalty), 1-1 Milian Herbst (28.), 1-2 Erdinc Solak (56.), 2-2 Smail Kadrijaj (70.), 3-2 Mika Schlosser (75.), 3-3 Alija Izberovic (79.), 4-3 Smail Kadrijaj (83./penalty), 5-3 Kevin Kunstmann (90.+5).
This result leaves Türk Gücü Friedberg searching for consistency in the Hessenliga, while Darmstadt 98 II will look to build on this victory as they aim to secure their league status. The U21 side’s win provides a much-needed boost after a prolonged period without a triumph.
Türk Gücü Friedberg will return to action with another away fixture, traveling to face FC Gießen on March 6, 2026. The team will undoubtedly be looking to bounce back from these recent setbacks and rediscover their form.
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