Highlights

FINAL
Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor
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H. Osmerswhistle
Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor
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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

information
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.
2.
Leon Bell Bell
Leon Bell Bell35.44km/h
3.
Jan-Luca Schuler
Jan-Luca Schuler34.11km/h
89'

Double change

A defender and a forward for the closing stages. Promotion is tantalisingly close for the Lilies...
86'

Nervy moments

Magdeburg continue to circulate the ball with purpose. Can Darmstadt hold their nerve?
80'

No faulting Magdeburg's effort levels

In terms of form, they're among the division's top-eight teams during the second half of the season - and it shows!
Possession (%)
3268
80'

Passes
198
521
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.
63'

Double change

Fresh legs for the visitors. Somewhat surprisingly, Atik is one of the men to make way.
63'

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

Ito dances into the box, but gets right under his shot, lifting it over the crossbar.
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

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Half time! Darmstadt 1-0 Magdeburg

Tietz's 12th goal of the season has Darmstadt on the brink of promotion to the Bundesliga - but Magdeburg have not been without their chances.
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

Darmstadt have been playing more like the away team, but they won't care!
Possession (%)
3466
37'

Stats point to a home win

information
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!
36'
Phillip Tietz
Goal probability
information
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.
29 %
35'
Video Assistant RefereeVideo Assistant Referee
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

information
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.
2.
Herbert Bockhorn
Herbert Bockhorn31.99km/h
3.
Emir Karic
Emir Karic31.96km/h
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

information
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
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Lillies' problems

Darmstadt also had a few selection issues to contend with ahead of the tie. Matthias Bader (pictured above) and Braydon Manu are out suspended after their red cards last weekend, while defender Jannik Müller has joined Frank Ronstadt and Oscar Vilhelmsson on the injury list.
camera-photo

Magdeburg injury worries

No less than eight Magdeburg players were out injured at the latest count. Club top scorer (and fan of acrobatic goal celebrations) Moritz-Broni Kwarteng was the latest to be ruled out of the tie due to a knee problem.

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.
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Staying positive

Darmstadt coach Torsten Lieberknecht said: "We are top of the table - and have been since Matchday 12. We are four points ahead, and it's all in our own hands. Of course we want to get promoted. So, you can all be positive that we will do it. I'm totally convinced of it."
camera-photo

Titz wary

Magdeburg coach Christian Titz said: "We've had a very intensive week. We have analysed our last match again, and we know we are facing opponents with enormous power in Darmstadt. They have a bring of physicality with their target man, Tietz."
0:59
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Watch: Hannover 2-1 Darmstadt

Hannover dashed Darmstadt's promotion dreams (temporarily) last weekend, with the Bundesliga 2 leaders also seeing two red cards. A win at home to Magdeburg will seal the deal, though.

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.