Torsten Lieberknecht has developed a favorite word over the past few weeks.

It is not “formidable” or “impressive”, which would fit in view of the never-ending soaring in Darmstadt 98.

No, it is: serious.

The "Lilien" head coach does not primarily enjoy the offensive glamor and glory moments that his team delivers, but rather the calm and callousness with which the team defends and hardly concedes dangerous finals to the opponents.

Serious.

In the well-deserved 2-1 win at Erzgebirge Aue, the seriousness with which these Darmstadters are in the second division came to the fore. "We played down the game responsibly and with great seriousness," praised Lieberknecht. Despite the "special external circumstances", as the Palatinate said. But even cold, a robust and strong opponent and the fact that no spectators were allowed due to the Saxon Corona regulations, the "lilies" could not harm.

They were clearly ahead of the Auern team, who had been successful in the past few weeks, and - this is what distinguishes the Darmstadt team in particular this season - their superiority also translates into scoring goals.

Auers Gonther's early own goal didn't count after studying video because SVD attacker Phillip Tietz had been marginally sidelined.

But after six wins from the last seven games, the “lilies” play football with so much self-confidence and a matter of course that it takes a lot more to dissuade them from their path.

Not that much enthusiasm

Now the performance in Aue was - as expected - the excitement that had distinguished the previous games at Schalke (4: 2) and against St. Pauli (4: 0). But this team knows that their chances are coming and that they will use them with enormous effectiveness.

A skilful co-production by the striker duo Tietz / Luca Pfeiffer provided new material for enthusiasm among “Lilien” fans. After a strong one-two with Tietz, the 1.96 meter tall Pfeiffer just got his long legs sorted to shoot the ball into the goal in the 62nd minute. Substitute Aaron Seydel was then free 13 minutes later to complete a massive preparatory work by Matthias Bader. “The goals were played out with a lot of calm. We also have a lot of quality on the bench, which helps us to bring such games over the stage, ”said Lieberknecht.

The man from Palatinate is likely to be envied by his coaching colleagues throughout the league for the fact that he can give convalescents like Seydel, Tim Skarke and Marvin Mehlem a lot of playing time thanks to the frequent comfortable tours. And so the troop can make personnel even more powerful in the long run. For Seydel it was a special sense of achievement. The 1.99 meter tall offensive player had hardly been able to convince in his time in Darmstadt and only recently came back from a seven-month injury break after Achilles tendon surgery.

“You first had to get him to regain confidence in his body,” said Lieberknecht, who in the 85th minute also saw a goal in Aue “with a lot of slapstick”.

A chain of unfortunate and strange defensive actions enabled Jonjic (85th) to score the 1: 2.

The victory was never in danger because the "lilies" found their seriousness again immediately.

The fact that the Saxons took out only one corner in 90 minutes speaks for the thoroughness of Darmstadt's defense work.

The South Hesse with the best offensive and third-best defense in the league are in second place after 15 matchdays.

"Now," said goal scorer Seydel, "the anticipation for Friday evening with the floodlit home game against Fortuna Düsseldorf is growing."