"Ovid has Covid," Torsten Lieberknecht reported with a wink on Friday.

His co-trainer Ovid Hajou was infected with the corona virus.

On Saturday, the test result of the "Lilien" head coach was positive, so that the team appeared almost without a lead at Hannover 96 on Sunday.

Kai Peter Schmitz, who is primarily responsible for analyzing opponents on the coaching staff, led the team, which ended in a 2-2 draw.

The lead in the second division table is gone, with the round number of 40 points, the SVD even slipped out of the promotion ranks for the first time in months: Fourth place is the status quo after 21 rounds.

"We're coming from a difficult week after losing 5-0 to Hamburg.

We are happy to take the point after the many imponderables of the last few days.

The work in the coaching team is spread over several shoulders, but it's still a problem when the head coach is absent at such short notice," said Schmitz.

After the home debacle against HSV, Südhessen showed themselves to be stable, with intact morale, but not yet back to their old strength.

Against the relegation candidates, the "lilies" presented themselves vulnerable at times, where they were hardly vulnerable this season.

And insecure at certain stages, where they've hardly been insecure this season.

The result was an overall performance-based draw.

Head coach Lieberknecht, who was in contact with his representatives on the bench by telephone, had decided to leave the losers from the HSV home game mostly in the starting lineup.

There was only one change with Mathias Honsak replacing Marvin Mehlem.

The Hanoverians seemed to want to do the same as HSV, namely to harass the Darmstadt team in the early stages.

The "lilies" found it difficult to get the 0:5 negative experience out of their clothes and sometimes found themselves deep in their own half of the game.

The best therapy would be a goal of their own – and the Hanoverians took care of that for the Hessians themselves.

Central defender Thomas Isherwood extended a corner kick into the danger zone, from where Stolze headed the ball into his own net (18').

An interim result in which the "lilies" were lucky at this point in time.

Darmstadt were once again lucky that a defensive action by Patric Pfeiffer did not lead to a penalty whistle (23rd).

But a scene that was decisive in hindsight took place in the 25th minute – with the two fastest SVD pros taking center stage.

Left wingman Honsak drove forward a counterattacking chance and managed a measured cross to his right flank counterpart, Tim Skarke.

But this missed the target free standing.

A 2-0 lead at this point would have been anything but deserved, but would have been effective for the "lilies".

Instead, the Lower Saxony were happy after 50 minutes to have turned the game around.

Teuchert had scored the equalizer (35') when first his opponent Matthias Bader wasn't up to par and then goalkeeper Marcel Schuhen didn't show a good positional play either.

Schuhen was back on his feet shortly after, brilliantly parrying a deflected shot (45').

But shortly after the restart he was powerless because the people in front left him alone.

Börner effortlessly headed in after a corner from close range (50').

From then on, the Darmstadt company no longer allowed such blatant gaps.

The only exception: after a counterattack, Hult from Hanover put the ball on the inside of the post (69').

But it was already 2:2, because Aaron Seydel, who came on again as a substitute, was in good shape again.

The 1.99 meter man converted a free kick with a powerful header (61st).

Seydel was exchanged for Phillip Tietz, who was once again ineffective.

Hannover 96's aggressive play also contributed to the progressive disenchantment of the former dream duo in Darmstadt's attack.

Tietz and Luca Pfeiffer (both 12 goals this season) have been waiting for a goal for six and seven games respectively.

All in all, the SVD coped well with a tricky situation in the season without a head coach.

"We've been proving throughout the season that we have the right attitude and that team spirit is very important to us.

Everyone pulls together,” said Captain Fabian Holland.