Highlights
H. Osmers
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90'
+ 4
Darmstadt are promoted!
They've done it! Some people are on the pitch. Bundesliga here they come, after six years outside the top flight! Congratulations, Darmstadt!
Full-time
90'
+ 2
Safe hands!
Schuhen with a big claim as a ball's swung in towards the back stick. Darmstadt inching closer...
90'
FOUR added minutes
The countdown is on...
90'
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
89'
Double change
A defender and a forward for the closing stages. Promotion is tantalisingly close for the Lilies...
88'
Substitution
88'
Substitution
86'
Nervy moments
Magdeburg continue to circulate the ball with purpose. Can Darmstadt hold their nerve?
85'
Substitution
85'
Substitution
80'
No faulting Magdeburg's effort levels
Possession (%)
3268
80'
79'
Substitution
74'
Schuhen to the rescue!
Darmstadt's No.1 does his best Superman impression, flying off his line to stop Schuler heading in from close range and then recovering to block Ceka's rising rebound.
70'
Chance!
Mehlem races into the box and aims for the near post from a tight angle, but Boss turns it round the upright.
70'
Substitution
63'
Double change
Fresh legs for the visitors. Somewhat surprisingly, Atik is one of the men to make way.
63'
Substitution
62'
Substitution
61'
Running men
Distance run (km)
7.7
7.9
Tobias Kempe Amara Condé
58'
Big Boss man
The Magdeburg stopper appears OK to continue. Relief for Titz, who's already without No.1 Dominik Reimann.
55'
Brave!
Mehlem anticipates Lawrence's loose pass across the back line. He races into the box with the ball at his feet, but Boss dives bravely at his feet to make the block before Lawrence completes the clearance. The Magdeburg stand-in keeper stays down, though...
51'
Ito chance
Goal attempts
6off target
2on target
5off target
3on target
47'
Atik threat
The Magdeburg playmaker bends a free-kick towards the far post, forcing Schuhen to bat clear at full stretch. He's proving a real handful for the home side...
46'
Ito on
The Japanese attacker replaces Bell Bell for Magdeburg. He's ex-Hamburg - can he do his former club a favour in the promotion race? Darmstadt are 45 minutes from a return to the Bundesliga...
Kick-off!
45'
+ 4
Substitution
Half time! Darmstadt 1-0 Magdeburg
© Imago
Half-time
44'
Denied!
Magdeburg carve open the home defence again. El Hankouri is the catalyst with a driving run and probing cross. Ceka meets it on the volley at the far post, but Schuhen gets down to beat the ball back out, Either side of the keeper, and that was in.
40'
Against the run of play
Possession (%)
3466
37'
Stats point to a home win
Stats point to a home win
0'
56.3 %
Now
77.2 %
36'
Darmstadt lead!
It's the goal they've been waiting for! Tietz nods down Kempe's left-wing cross. He gets lucky as it comes back to him off a defender, and he lashes in the rebound. There's a VAR check for a possible foul by the big striker, but it stands. Darmstadt are going up, if it stays this way!
Goal probability
Goal probability
Goal probability determines the likelihood that the ball will land in the goal from every position on the pitch. The value is based on large amounts of data from previous years; factors such as shot angle, distance to goal and opponent pressure - as well as mathematical models.
35'
SituationNo goal
ReviewOffside?
DecisionGoal
33'
Atik!
Darmstadt don't get tight enough to Atik, who's allowed to carry the ball into a shooting position 20 yards from goal. He drags it wide, though.
30'
Deflected wide!
Magdeburg's forward line continues to cause problems for Darmstadt on the break as El Hankouri barrels in off the right flank. He takes aim from 18 yards, but a deflection takes it wide.
30'
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
22'
Tietz header!
Kempe sends over a free-kick from the right with real pace. Tietz attacks, but his towering header zings wide of the far post.
19'
Decent chances at both ends
xGoals
The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. During a match, it’s easy to see whether the club is performing better than expected (goals > xGoals) - or maybe even higher (xGoals > goals).
xGoals
0
0.33
0.43
0
Goals
15'
Big save!
Breathless stuff in the opening exchanges as Schuhen's outstretched leg denies El Hankouri from close range. That all came about following a mazy Atik run.
13'
Off the line!
So close to the opening goal. Magdeburg don't deal with Schuhen's long punt. Mehlem slips in Tietz, who rounds the goalkeeper, but there's Heber to clear off the line!
8'
Over!
Atik sprays a diagonal ball into the Darmstadt area. It's cushioned down for Ceka, who's leaning back and blazes over from 12 yards. That was a very presentable chance...
6'
Dangerous moment
Stojilkovic pounces on a mistake by Heber, who goes shoulder to shoulder with the Darmstadt striker in a bid to wrestle back possession in the box. He prevails, amidst loud penalty calls from the home side. Not given.
4'
Probing
Karic does well to get in behnd the Magdeburg defence, but his cut-back into the area is hooked away.
1'
Party mood
We're under way at the Böllenfalltor, which is positively rocking!
Kick-off!
A word on Magdeburg
Promoted as 3. Liga champions last season, Magdeburg were second bottom of Bundesliga 2, on 17 points from as many games, at the halfway stage. However, they've taken 23 points since to secure another campaign of Bundesliga 2 football with room to spare.
Promotion permutations
It's a case of three into two automatic promotion spots between Darmstadt, Heidenheim and Hamburg, with a play-off tie against 16th in the Bundesliga for the third-placed team. Leaders Darmstadt have already squandered two chances to confirm their top-flight place for 2023/24, but can make it a case of third time lucky today...
Darmstadt will be promoted if:
They win; they draw AND Heidenheim lose to Sandhausen OR Hamburg fail to beat Greuther Fürth; or Hamburg lose to Fürth
Heidenheim will be promoted to the Bundesliga for the first time ever if:
They win against Sandhausen AND Hamburg lose to Fürth.
Hamburg will be guaranteed third place if:
They get at least a draw against Fürth; or Paderborn, St. Pauli and Fortuna Düsseldorf all fail to win against Arminia Bielefeld, Holstein Kiel and Hannover respectively
More on those teams
With Müller sidelined, Manu and Bader suspended and Honsak dropping to the bench, Lieberknecht turns to Klaus Gjasula, the suspension-free Marvin Mehlem, Fabian Schnellhardt and Tobias Kempe. As for Magdeburg, Bayern Munich reserves loanee Jamie Lawrence is preferred to defender Cristiano Piccini in the only change to the 2-2 draw with Nuremberg.
Darmstadt starting line-up
Schuhen - Pfeiffer, Gjasula, Zimmermann - Karic, Schnellhardt, Kempe, Holland (c) - Mehlem - Tietz, Stojilkovic
Darmstadt subs
Brunst, Isherwood, Riedel, Warming, Honsak, Ben Balla, Bennetts, Seydel, Torsiello
Magdeburg starting line-up
Boss - Bockhorn, Lawrence, Heber, Bell Bell - Gnaka, Elfadli, Conde (c) - Ceka, El Hankouri, Atik
Magdeburg subs
Kruth, Piccini, Sechelmann, Bittroff, Cacutalua, Ullmann, Brünker, Schuler, Ito
Lillies' problems
© Boris Streubel/Bundesliga/Bundesliga Collection via Getty Images
Magdeburg injury worries
© IMAGO/Revierfoto/IMAGO/Revierfoto
Darmstadt dip
Darmstadt have lost their last two fixtures - it is only the second time this season they have suffered such a dip. They had gone 21 matches unbeaten between July and March.
Magdeburg making a move
The visitors are on their best unbeaten run of the season - four without defeat. They lost 0-1 at home when they hosted Darmstadt in November, however.
Staying positive
© IMAGO/Florian Ulrich/IMAGO/Jan Huebner
Titz wary
© IMAGO/Christian Schroedter/IMAGO/Christian Schroedter
0:59
Watch: Hannover 2-1 Darmstadt
Third time lucky for Darmstadt?
Darmstadt missed the chance to seal promotion back to the Bundesliga in defeats to St. Pauli and Hannover. Can the Bundesliga 2 leaders get the job done at the third attempt against mid-table Magdeburg? A win will guarantee their place in the top flight, but anything else opens the door to Heidenheim and Hamburg, three and four points back respectively, and in action on Saturday.