Paderborn clinch promotion play-off spot in Darmstadt
Paderborn won 2-0 in Darmstadt to book a play-off date with Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, after Hannover could only draw with Nuremberg on the final day of the 2025/26 Bundesliga 2 season.
Darmstadt 0-2 Paderborn
Goals: 0-1 Marino 6’, 0-2 Michel 89’
The stakes could hardly have been higher as Paderborn travelled to the Böllenfalltor for the final fixture of the 2025/26 Bundesliga 2 season. Ralf Kettemann's side needed to win and hope for favourable results elsewhere to secure either automatic promotion or a place in the promotion play-offs.
Marino strikes early for Paderborn
The match burst into life from the first whistle. In the fourth minute, Isac Lidberg received the ball inside the Paderborn penalty area, spun sharply and struck the left-hand post — a huge let-off for the visitors. Paderborn responded immediately, and in the sixth minute, Mattes Hansen played Stefano Marino in behind the Darmstadt defence. Vukotić slid in but missed the ball entirely, and Marino coolly slotted into the corner past Marcel Schuhen to give Paderborn the lead. It was Marino's fifth goal in his last nine matches, and sent the away end into raptures.
Seimen stands firm as Darmstadt push back
Schuhen produced a fine save in the 17th minute, stretching at full length to tip a Marino header — assisted by Mika Baur's free kick — over the crossbar. Marco Richter was a constant menace for the hosts, firing just wide in the 27th minute after controlling the ball with his chest on the left side of the penalty area.
In the 42nd minute, Richter left Tjark Scheller for dead with a body feint before shooting, only for Dennis Seimen to produce a superb save. Baur picked up a yellow card deep into first-half stoppage time — his fifth of the season — which will rule him out of the play-off first leg. Paderborn went into the break with a slender but deserved lead.
Seimen the hero as Darmstadt lay siege
The second half transitioned into a relentless onslaught from Darmstadt. Just three minutes after the restart, Killian Corredor found himself one-on-one with Seimen, but the Paderborn goalkeeper made himself big and kept the ball out. Lidberg had eight shots across the match — the most of any player — and twice in the 72nd minute he was denied by Seimen from close range, the keeper first blocking a shot from three metres with a stunning reflex save, before getting down again for the follow-up. In the 73rd minute, Kai Klefisch crashed a powerful long-range effort against the crossbar.
Bilbija hits the bar from the spot
Prior to that, Paderborn were handed a golden opportunity to double their lead in the 62nd minute when referee Badstübner pointed to the spot after López came in late on Jonah Sticker. Filip Bilbija stepped up and struck the ball with tremendous force — only to see it crash against the underside of the crossbar and bounce clear. It was a massive let-off for Darmstadt, and a moment that threatened to haunt Paderborn.
Michel seals it in stoppage time
With the tension almost unbearable, Paderborn finally put the game to bed in the 89th minute. Tigges flicked the ball on with a clever backheel into the run of Bilbija, who squared it across goal to the unmarked Michel, who had no trouble sliding the ball home to make it 2-0. Six minutes of stoppage time were added, but Paderborn held firm to complete a memorable victory. Moments after full-time, news filtered through that Hannover had drawn with Nuremburg, thereby confirming the visitors' spot in the promotion play-off against Wolfsburg.
Man of the Match: Dennis Siemen
Seimen was, without a doubt, the standout performer on the day. The Paderborn goalkeeper produced several excellent stops to consistently keep the home attacks at bay.
His sensational double block from Lidburg in the 72nd minute was the pick of his saves, and it came at a crucial time, with Darmstadt pushing hard for an equaliser.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Darmstadt 2.70 - Paderborn 2.03
Fastest player: Isac Lidberg (Darmstadt), 33.84 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 0-1 by Stefano Marino (Paderborn), 13 percent
Most pressed player: Marco Richter (Darmstadt), 20 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Kai Klefisch (Darmstadt), +5.26
