Darmstadt 98 ended a run of more than six months without a win in Germany's second-tier 2. Bundesliga, beating Arminia Bielefeld 2-1 at home on Friday evening. Ho-Jae Lee put the hosts ahead inside three minutes, and Milan Smit converted a penalty in the 86th minute to secure the points after Bielefeld's Marius Wörl had leveled the score midway through the second half.
The result was Darmstadt's first league win since 7 March, and lifted the club, known to their supporters as the Lilien, to 14th place in the table, at least temporarily.
Darmstadt 98, based in the southern Hesse city of Darmstadt, and Arminia Bielefeld, from the East Westphalian city of Bielefeld, both compete in the 2. Bundesliga, the second tier of German football below the Bundesliga.
Lee Scores Inside Three Minutes
Darmstadt, who brought returning midfielder Marco Richter straight back into the starting lineup, wasted no time asserting themselves. In the third minute, Noah Weisshaupt pounced on a misplaced Bielefeld pass and squared the ball to Lee, who slotted it home for the early lead.
The goal did not settle Darmstadt's nerves. Bielefeld responded quickly and created their first real chance in the ninth minute, when goalkeeper Schuhen had to claw a cross from Jannik Rochelt out of the far corner. Darmstadt remained largely passive for the rest of the half, with only half-chances from Richter in the 16th minute and Smit in the 30th offering any further threat going forward.
Penalty Shouts Waved Away
Darmstadt also wanted a penalty of their own around the half-hour mark, after Weisshaupt went down in the box following a challenge from Bielefeld's Maximilian Bauer. Referee Eric Weisbach saw no reason to point to the spot. Nine minutes later, the official also stayed silent, correctly, after Bielefeld's Kai Klefisch handled the ball inside his own area in what was judged an unintentional touch. Bielefeld's attacks were frequent but lacked precision, and Darmstadt's slender lead held until half-time.
Woerl Equalizes for Bielefeld
The pattern continued after the break, with Bielefeld pushing forward and Darmstadt struggling to build attacks of their own. Darmstadt were fortunate in the 55th minute when a first-time effort from Monju Momuluh flashed narrowly wide of Schuhen's goal. Four minutes later, Bielefeld got their reward: after a scramble of loose passes inside the penalty area, Woerl struck from more than 20 meters out for a deserved equalizer.
Smit's Late Penalty Seals the Win
The equalizer acted as a wake-up call for Darmstadt, who briefly regained the upper hand. Weisshaupt forced his way through the Bielefeld defense in the 68th minute but was denied by goalkeeper Jonas Kersken. Bielefeld also pushed for a winner of their own: in the 73rd minute, Joel Grodowski beat Darmstadt defender Yannik Luehrs with a feint and tried to nutmeg Schuhen, who just managed to close his legs in time to block the effort.
Darmstadt's decisive moment arrived in the 86th minute, when Bielefeld's Leon Jensen handled the ball inside his own penalty area. This time the referee pointed to the spot, and Smit calmly converted to make it 2-1.
Match Details
The match, played in front of 17,710 spectators, was refereed by Eric Weisbach of Halle. Yellow cards went to Momuluh, Petretta, Weisshaupt, Klefisch and Koudossou.
