A promise of things to come: SV Elversberg demolish Paderborn 5:1 to regain control of their promotion destiny
SV Elversberg sent a powerful message in what was probably their most important second-division home game so far. In their 5:1 performance against SC Paderborn, manager Vincent Wagner’s team particularly impressed in a first half brimming with energy, precision and consistency – putting them up to a direct promotion spot. Two days before the end of the season, their primary goal is once again within reach.
Some football matches just feel different, even after only a few minutes have passed. Matches that do not get off to a slow start, but instead where one team immediately makes it clear that they will be shaping proceedings, rather than just putting up a fight. For SV Elversberg, their home game against SC Paderborn was one such match. This was the endgame in the battle for promotion, a hugely important clash and a direct face-off with a competitor who were still sitting above SVE when the whistle sounded. And what resulted was an afternoon with an exceptional impact, even by Elversberg’s extraordinary standards.
Manager Vincent Wagner’s team secured a 5:1 victory over a team that, until then, had been in second place in the table. SVE were already leading 4:0 by half time. Maximilian Rohr, David Mokwa and Lukas Petkov (twice) quickly transformed URSAPHARM-Arena an der Kaiserlinde into a place where anything seemed possible. Raif Adam added the crowning glory in injury time with his first ever goal in the second-division. In-between sat a long second half where Paderborn managed to slightly close the gap thanks to Calvin Brackelmann and briefly upped the pressure, but were ultimately never able to seriously pose a threat to Elversberg.
This was not an everyday win. It was a sporting statement at a time when many things remained up in the air. How would this young, ambitious team handle the pressure? What would be the impact of their 3:3 in Darmstadt, when they were unable to keep hold of a lead whilst a man up? How would they respond to a match of this importance, representing not just a good season but also a historic opportunity? The answer was clear. In fact, it was so clear that their manager later had to acknowledge how exceptional this performance was.
‘Today, for the first time, I felt like we were getting off to a harmonious start. A win of this magnitude is flattering. We got off the starting blocks very early’, Vincent Wagner said after the match. This early start was just four minutes in. Tom Zimmerschied passed the first corner of the match into the centre, Lukas Petkov headed it onwards, then a header by Maximilian Rohr in the centre put the score at 1:0. Paderborn’s goalkeeper Dennis Seimen protested in vain that this was a foul, but the goal stood – and it immediately changed the character of the match.
Today, for the first time, I felt like we were getting off to a harmonious start. A win of this magnitude is flattering. We got off the starting blocks very early
SVE manager Vincent Wagner
This is because Elversberg were no longer searching and lying in wait, no longer cautiously feeling their way. SVE had made the first move – and retained remarkable composure. Paderborn tried to respond, with Santiago Castaneda and Stefano Marino making moves, but initially failed to create anything more than half-chances. The away team did not seem like one that could fail to stand a chance. However, on this afternoon they faced an Elversberg team who were more precise, determined and efficient at crucial moments.
This brought 2:0 after 17 minutes. Florian Le Joncour, who replaced suspended captain Lukas Pinckert in the starting eleven, fired a long shot from his own half. Lasse Günther broke away, was taken down by an incoming Seimen, but still managed to pass to David Mokwa. The striker simply had to slot the ball into the empty goal. This goal said a lot about Elversberg’s afternoon: quickly reading deep spaces, a clear run, a clean final touch and scoring without hesitation.
Lukas Petkov was a particularly crucial figure in this first half. In the 28th minute, Lukasz Poreba played a delicate pass behind the defence after Paderborn lost possession. Petkov stood calm in front of Seimen and scored to put things at 3:0. This was his twelfth goal of the season. His thirteenth would follow before half-time: in the 41st minute, Zimmerschied fired another shot over Paderborn’s defensive ranks, then Petkov took control of proceedings and scored from ten metres out to secure 4:0. On the club’s internal goal tally, this puts him ahead of Younes Ebnoutalib, who moved to Eintracht Frankfurt during the winter break after chalking up twelve goals.
Petkov’s later description of the performance was simple but fitting: ‘Our intensity today was quite simply phenomenal. Whether or not we are promoted is up to us again. This division is just crazy.’ This last sentence sums up the season. For weeks, the second division has been demonstrating how quickly moods, table rankings and supposedly safe positions can change. Elversberg have recently dropped points, as have Paderborn, and Hannover failed to do any better than 3:3 against bottom team Preußen Münster on the same afternoon. With two days to go, Schalke 04 are guaranteed to be the champions. However, things just below them remain tight – and this Elversberg win means that things are suddenly opening up again for SVE.
Our intensity today was quite simply phenomenal. Whether or not we are promoted is up to us again. This division is just crazy.
Lukas Petkov
Amara Condé, one of the team’s most experienced players, emphasised the importance of this match. He commented to Sky immediately afterwards: ‘What can I say?’ And then he described what this win meant to him: ‘The whole match today was very important to me, especially after last week. Our performance against Paderborn, a brutal team, was very strong today. It was great we could show how Elversberg play.’
And this was perhaps the most important aspect of the afternoon: Elversberg showed how Elversberg play. Not in idealised form, but rather under huge sporting pressure. With courage. With pace. With aggressive attacks. With clear pushing forward. With players taking responsibility. And with a team that were not cowed by the magnitude of the moment. 9,307 spectators in a sold-out URSAPHARM-Arena enjoyed an atmosphere that fitted this game perfectly: hopeful, raucous, amazed – and even more incredulous with every move that Elversberg made.
Paderborn’s manager Ralf Kettemann had some clear thoughts on his team’s performance after the match. ‘45 minutes of that was a lousy performance by us. I can’t explain it’, he said. He was later similarly harsh: ‘That was a lousy first half, we played a very bad first 45 minutes. Of course, it was a terrible time for it to happen, it’s very painful for us.’ This was understandable from SCP’s perspective. Before the match, Paderborn were in second place and had an opportunity to pull away from Elversberg, then they were practically taken out of the running in a single half.
That was a lousy first half, we played a very bad first 45 minutes. Of course, it was a terrible time for it to happen, it’s very painful for us.
SCP manager Ralf Kettemann
But putting this result down to weaknesses on Paderborn’s part would be too simplistic. Yes, the home team had some poor periods. Yes, they made mistakes. But Elversberg also forced them into it. Precision, drive, determination, precise transitions – all of these factors turned Paderborn’s unsteadiness into goals for Elversberg. As Wagner put it after the match: ‘We all did a good job, we were precise and razor-sharp. And we needed to be, because Paderborn are a very good team.’ That last part was especially important. Paderborn are not a fly-by-night, but rather a team whose high position is built on solid foundations. The fact that SVE secured such a resounding victory makes this result even more valuable.
We all did a good job, we were precise and razor-sharp. And we needed to be, because Paderborn are a very good team.
SVE manager Vincent Wagner
With a 4:0 lead under their belts, SVE dropped the pace somewhat in the second half. This is human but also demonstrated how quickly things can change in this division. After a free kick from the centre line, Calvin Brackelmann fired a tight-angle volley into the near corner in the 65th minute. Kristof did not appear happy about conceding this goal. Paderborn were suddenly the strongest they had been at any point in the match. Not long after, Kristof had to react strongly against Bilbija, then a close shot by Kennedy Okpala was kept away from the line by Poreba. There were minutes when it was clear why Wagner described a win of this magnitude as flattering, despite the clear result.
However, Elversberg managed to survive this period. This was as important as the frenzied first half. 4:0 by half time can be deceptive if an opponent regains their energy after the change of ends and chalks up their first goal. However, SVE refused to allow this brief period of pressure by Paderborn to result in new drama. They stabilised, made substitutions, brought on fresh blood, and kept a controlled hold on their lead through to the final whistle. Nicholas Mickelson, Jarzinho Malanga and Frederik Schmahl came on for Günther, Petkov and Pherai after an hour. Luca Schnellbacher also became important later on, as he set up the fifth goal in stoppage time.
Raif Adam scored in the 93rd minute to make things 5:1. This was his first goal in the second division. In a normal match, this goal might have been nothing but a pleasant side note. But on this afternoon, it fit the overall picture: a substitute who provided a boost of energy, another cleanly played attack, a final cheer from the stand. Shortly after, Paderborn’s Steffen Tigges was shown a red card (from two yellows) after a foul on Schnellbacher. Then came the final whistle. Elversberg had won the direct duel, overtaken Paderborn, and even moved up into second place in the table thanks to Hannover’s draw.
There are two matches left to go. Two wins would be enough to secure direct promotion to the Bundesliga. Things continue on Sunday 10 May at 1:30 p.m. against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Preußen Münster then await on the final day of play. Theoretically, SVE could secure promotion this weekend. This would require them to win in Düsseldorf, whilst Paderborn lose to Karlsruher SC and Hannover slip up against VfL Bochum. However, number games like this are dangerous, as Elversberg know better than most.
Given this, Amara Condé deliberately kept things in check. ‘We will see what kind of a mark this makes on the final day of play’, he said. This was not him downplaying matters, but rather speaking from experience. Condé knows how quickly things can be turned upside down in football. He said: ‘Of course, I am emotional and happy. But I have clocked up a few years now and I know that anything can happen in football. Just look at the season, at both ends of the table. We have two weeks of football left and then we’ll see where we stand.’ And he added a crucial warning: ‘We cannot under any circumstances become complacent. Anything is possible.’
We cannot under any circumstances become complacent. Anything is possible.
Amara Condé
After the match, Wagner spoke of Schalke 04, who have been confirmed as second division champions by Elversberg’s win. ‘Anyone who manages to secure promotion on the 32nd match day in a division like this has earned it, they must be congratulated’, the SVE manager said. However, he then turned his attentions to his own team and made a comment that highlights the scale of recent weeks’ events: ‘And now I hope that we can follow them. When I think that our club could be promoted to the Bundesliga with a team like this, it feels a little beyond the bounds of my imagination, but it is achievable. Because my team also play very good football.’
Nevertheless, Wagner is not viewing the final part of the season as easy. ‘The final throes of the season are nothing but a struggle, pure struggle. I hope we manage to put in a harmonious performance in our last two matches’, he said. This sounds like relief, but also realism. Elversberg have not always shone in this second half of the season. There have been matches where taking the lead did not mean taking the win. There have been moments when the team wobbled. There has been a question whether this dream might simply be too big. However, in the first half at least against Paderborn, SVE found the harmony that Wagner described.
Despite this, Düsseldorf pose a difficult upcoming task. As Wagner definitively put it: ‘The match in Düsseldorf will be brutally difficult, but if a team can survive it, mine can. I am looking forward to it.’ This is a confident statement, but not an arrogant one. It is fitting for a team that no longer need to pretend that they are a small contender, after a 5:1 win over Paderborn. But it also fits the picture of a manager who understands that each next match means starting from scratch. Fortuna Düsseldorf are towards the bottom of the table, but matches like these can be uncomfortable at this point in the season. Every opponent has their own aims, their own troubles, their own energy. And the pressure levels for Elversberg will not be getting any lower.
Perhaps this will be the biggest challenge of the next two weeks. Against Paderborn, SVE were able to play with the energy of a direct clash. The starting situation was clear: win, overtake, stay in the running. The story in Düsseldorf will be rather different. Elversberg will be arriving not as the underdog, but as the second-placed team. As a team with control of their own promotion destiny. A team that all of the German football world is suddenly talking about. This changes perceptions, but does not have to change their attitude.
Ultimately, this is a hugely important result for the table standings. SVE are now in second place. They have 59 points. Paderborn and Hannover are hot on their heels with 58 points. Schalke are through. And Elversberg? Elversberg are just two games away from taking a step that many people long thought unthinkable. But as Wagner said: it is achievable. Because this team plays very good football.
This afternoon against Paderborn served as perfect proof. It was a promise of things to come, but not yet a final achievement. It made its mark but was not yet the punchline. A major win but not yet the final curtain. And this is how SVE will be viewing it. With delight, pride, humility – and a willingness to give their all once again over the next two weeks.
Because if this season has shown us one thing, it is that anything is possible in this division. But after this 5:1 against Paderborn, the same holds true: anything really is possible for SV Elversberg.