Kaiserslautern players celebrate at Fritz Walter Stadium. (1. FC Kaiserslautern via Facebook)
1. FC Kaiserslautern scored late goals Sunday to beat SV Darmstadt 98 in front of 47,722 spectators at Fritz Walter Stadium.
FCK coach Torsten Lieberknecht made three changes in the starting lineup going with Ivan Prtajin, Richmond Tachie and newcomer Paul Joly for Mahir Emreli, Naatan Skyttä and the injured Simon Asta.
The Red Devils had the better start, with Marlon Ritter getting off a hard shot on goal that 98er keeper Marcel Schuhen stopped.
Two minutes later Kaiserslautern got lucky when a Darmstadt header by Merveille Papela hit the crossbar.
A minute later Schuhen stopped Tachie in a one-on-one situation, keeping the game scoreless.
The game remained even through the first half.
After the intermission, the Lilies took the lead when striker Isac Lidberg converted a cross from Fabian Nürnberger in the 62nd minute.
But unlike last week when the Red Devils lost the game in Elversberg in the final minutes, they were able to turn the table on Darmstadt with late goals by three substitutes.
First Skyttä tied the game in the 84th minute with a left footer off a pass from Faride Alidou.
Then the Red Devils took the lead in the first minute of stoppage time when Alidou took a cross from Leon Robinson and sent a header into the net.
Tobias Raschl put the game away for Kaiserslautern with a right footer past Schuhen six minutes later.
The win moves FCK up to ninth place in the second division table with six points, Darmstadt drops to sixth place after its first loss of the season.
Following a break for national team action next weekend, Kaiserslautern is back in action Sept. 14, when it plays in Fürth. The Red Devis return to the Betzenberg on Sept. 19 for a Friday evening game against Preussen Münster.
August 31, 2025 18:21
