SVWW narrow defeat to Champions in season finale
Pros |
SV Wehen Wiesbaden were beaten 6-3 (4-2) at home by Holstein Kiel on Matchday 14 of the 2. Bundesliga season. The 4,000 spectators at the BRITA-Arena were witness to a highly eventful encounter in every respect, with the intervention of VAR required on three separate occasions. Manuel Schäffler (3, 52) and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh (30) got the goals for SVWW.
The injured Moritz Kuhn was replaced by Marvin Ajani. He was joined in the starting line-up by the returning duo of captain Sebastian Mrowca and Daniel-Kofi Kyereh, who came in as replacements for Marcel Titsch Rivero and Tobias Schwede respectively.
The match got off to a flying start with the hosts taking the lead in the third minute. Maximilian Dittgen latched onto a long pass on the left flank and crossed low into the centre towards Kyereh, who beat his opponent to the ball in the KSV box and was brought down. The decision to award a penalty to SVWW was reviewed for several minutes by the video assistant referee but eventually upheld. Manuel Schäffler stepped up to take it and confidently slotted home to put the Red & Blacks 1-0 ahead.
SVWW came close to doubling their advantage three minutes later when Dittgen and Schäffler linked up brilliantly to tee up Kyereh in the Kiel box, but his shot was thwarted by a last-ditch block. More goalmouth action followed at the other end two minutes later as the visitors launched their first attack through Jae Sung Lee and Janni Serra, with Emmanuel Iyoha slotting home from close range to equalise. Ajani subsequently went close in the 10th minute with a volley from a Dittgen cross that flew over, while SVWW shot-stopper Lindner made a save at the other end to keep out Alexander Mühling four minutes later.
The visitors seized control of the game once they had restored parity, while SVWW started to suffer from some of the defensive vulnerabilities that had not been present in the previous weeks. KSV danger man Mühling took full advantage in the 21st minute when team-mate Serri headed the ball into his path, blasting home from an unmarked position 12 metres out to put the visitors 2-1 up.
But the goalscoring did not stop there for the visitors, who were awarded a penalty in the 27th minute when a cross from South Korean Lee struck the hand of SVWW defender Jakov Medic in the box. Referee Thorben Siewer consulted the video assistant referee and pointed to the spot, before Mühling stepped up and added a third for the Storks.
The visitors kept up the substantial pressure and Serra made it 4-1 only two minutes later. But SVWW kept themselves in the game and reduced the deficit to 4-2 on the half-hour mark when Kyereh found the net with an effort from 18 metres. The goal was initially disallowed but the decision was overturned by VAR. Emboldened by their goal, SVWW continued to attack before the interval – but there was to be no further scoring in the seven minutes of stoppage time and they went in at the break trailing 4-2.
SVWW looked lively after the restart but were caught out once again five minutes into the second period. A Kiel defender played a long ball over the top and Sascha Mockenhaupt lost his footing in a challenge with Salih Özcan, who raced clean through and made it 5-2. It was the worst-possible start for the Red & Blacks, but they continued to create chances and scored through Schäffler in the 52nd minute, the forward tapping home from 11 metres after Kiel keeper Ioannis Gelios had punched the ball into the path of Michel Niemeyer.
The goal sparked hopes of a revival for SVWW, who continued to show courage going forward. But they were denied the chance to narrow the deficit to one goal when Schäffler, having been fed by Ajani, was denied as Gelios came rushing off his line in the 55th minute.
The game was growing livelier with every passing minute with the Red & Blacks throwing themselves into every single challenge and Kiel responding in kind. The visitors tried to sit back and strike on the counter, allowing SVWW to have the ball. A Dittgen corner in the 69th minute resulted in Gelios making a spectacular save to keep out a Kyereh scissor kick which would have narrowed the deficit for the hosts.
Kiel did not pose any more danger in the SVWW penalty area until the 74th minute, but they would have surely scored again had Lindler not got the better of Özcan in a one-on-one.
With around 10 minutes to go, SVWW boss Rehm signalled his attacking intent by bringing on Törles Knöll for Mrowca. But it was Kiel who had the clear-cut opportunities – Lee’s shot and Makana Baku’s follow-up in the 88th minute were brilliantly kept out by Lindner – and the Storks eventually got their sixth goal of the afternoon in the fourth minute of stoppage time when Jonas Meffert slotted home to round off the scoring.
SVWW: Lindner – Ajani, Mockenhaupt, Dams, Medic (Röcker, 37), Niemeyer – Kyereh, Mrowca (Knöll, 81), Lorch (Gül, 60), Dittgen – Schäffler