The second division of German football witnessed a compelling matchday as several teams battled for position in the league standings. SV Darmstadt 98 managed to retain their lead, albeit temporarily, after a 1-1 draw against Holstein Kiel. Kiel demonstrated dominance for much of the contest, creating numerous opportunities that ultimately went unconverted. Darmstadt took the lead just under ten minutes into the second half, with Isac Lidberg netting his eighth goal of the season for the Lilien. The Swedish forward skillfully cut in from the left and fired a shot into the right corner from the edge of the penalty area. Holstein Kiel responded in the 66th minute through David Zec, leveling the score. Sunday’s fixtures offer the potential for Hannover and Elversberg to potentially overtake Darmstadt.
Elsewhere, 1. FC Kaiserslautern secured a 3-2 victory over VfL Bochum in a contest played under challenging weather conditions at the Fritz-Walter Stadion. While Kaiserslautern also displayed periods of wasteful finishing, they were ultimately rewarded with goals from Ivan Prtajin (two) and Paul Joly. Gerrit Holtmann and Philipp Hofmann were on target for Bochum.
In Berlin, Hertha BSC celebrated their first home victory of the season with a win against Preußen Münster at the Olympiastadion. Despite a stunning goal by Fabian Reese being disallowed due to a marginal offside decision, Sebastian Grönning scored the opening two goals for the capital club. Etienne Amenyido netted a late consolation goal for Münster, but it proved too little, too late.