Darmstadt (dpa / lhe) - Second division leaders SV Darmstadt 98 want to continue their winning streak in the 2nd Bundesliga on Friday (6.30 p.m. / Sky) against Holstein Kiel. "It's going to be a tough fight," said coach Torsten Lieberknecht on Thursday. More injury-related absences are a particular concern. "It's bitter for us that the workforce is getting thinner."
Of all things, Lieberknecht had to do without the winning goal scorer in the 2-1 victory in the DFB Cup against Borussia Mönchengladbach against the "Storks". Striker Aaron Seydel, who had to be substituted on Tuesday just a few minutes after scoring due to thigh pain, is out with a torn fascia. With Fabian Schnellhardt (partial ligament tear in the knee), Mathias Honsak (back problems), Klaus Gjasula (muscle bundle tear) and Magnus Warming (syndesmosis ligament tear), the "Lilien" head coach no longer has any hope of a first-round appearance.
Nevertheless, the cup success showed "that we can put a team on the pitch that brings fire," said the 49-year-old. After the cup coup, however, there was no party for his team. "After the Gladbach game, no one was ready to even think about celebrating. We wanted to go through the week with the utmost professionalism. The celebrations didn't matter."
Should there be a lack of energy in the league game against the table sixth, the evening home game at the Böllenfalltor might release reserves. "We have the opportunity again to present ourselves under floodlights. That tickles a few percent more energy out of everyone," said Lieberknecht. His team has been unbeaten in 13 competitive games, eleven of them in the league.
