Darmstadt (dpa/lhe) – The successful series of Darmstadt 98 in the 2nd Bundesliga should also last in the last game of the year. The Hessians have been unbeaten for 15 games and want to remain so in the duel with Bundesliga relegated SpVgg Greuther Fürth on Sunday (1.30 p.m. / Sky). “We’ve already played a fantastic first half of the season. But we still have one game left. That’s why we’re not thinking about celebrating, we want to win another game. And we want to do that together with our fans on Sunday,” said Lilien coach Torsten Lieberknecht on Friday.
With 35 points, Darmstadt is the leader of the table and as such will go into the long winter break with a four-point lead over pursuers Hamburger SV (31). However, the task against Fürth will be anything but easy, as the Franconians have recently shown increasing form under new coach Alexander Zorniger and celebrated three wins in a row. “With Fürth, we’re expecting a team that has been relegated from the first division and has stabilized. It will be a big challenge, but we’re really looking forward to it,” said Lieberknecht.
Goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen, who had to be substituted at half-time due to a muscular problem in the 1-0 win in Magdeburg on Thursday evening, is questionable. “He’s still undergoing an MRI scan,” Lieberknecht said. It is also “difficult to foresee whether it will work on Sunday” for the injured defender Jannik Müller. Defensive man Christoph Zimmermann is likely to be out due to a slight flu infection.
Nevertheless, the Darmstadt team are confident in the game. “Of course, looking at the table makes you happy, but we’re far from leaning back. We also want to win against Fürth,” said captain Fabian Holland, formulating the goal. And Lieberknecht appealed to the fans: “Let’s make the Bölle shake together on Sunday. We need a lot of energy from outside to be able to go the extra mile.”
