Darmstadt Relegated From Bundesliga, 1. FC Köln to likely follow suit

Heading into their do or die match with Heidenheim, Darmstadt were high off last week's shock victory against fellow relegation stragglers 1. FC Köln.

As the only team in the bottom five to keep faith in their manager (Torsten Lieberknecht) the entire season, Darmstadt have perhaps prepared for the worst in the case of next season's 2. Liga promotion hopes.

However, things did not go their way once again and when it mattered they crumbled against fellow promoted side Heidenheim. It really was telling the difference between two sides who both were promoted last campaign.

That loss marked the end of their Bundesliga stay, after just one season. Contrastingly, the team looking to join them (1. FC Köln) may be saying goodbye to the club's longest period in Germany's top flight in over twenty-five years.

The team dubbed "The Billy Goats" are currently 17th in the Bundesliga and five points off third bottom Mainz after their late dramatic 1-1 draw with the 05ers on Sunday afternoon.

In terms of getting totally out of the bottom three, the chance for this seems almost impossible as a seven-point gap between them and both VfL Bochum and Union Berlin seems insurmountable.

If they do lose next weekend at home to Freiburg, it will surely be over for Timo Schultz's side as Mainz can kill off all hopes of survival with an away win against Mainz.