At 6:30pm on a rather unremarkable Friday evening, the floodlights shone on the Fürth football pitch. It was the 21st matchday of the second division, when 1. FC Magdeburg visited the SpVgg Greuther Fürth. The encounter had been dubbed a "relegation battle" beforehand, but that this very match would go down in the history books of the 2. Bundesliga as "historic" was something no one could have predicted.
Eighth minute: 1-0 for Greuther Fürth. What followed was pure spectacle. 13th, 15th, 23rd, 29th, and 33rd minutes: From 1-0 down – within just 20 minutes – to 5-1 up. A record! Those were 20 minutes in which Magdeburg completely turned on the style. 20 minutes that no club in the 2. Bundesliga had ever used so efficiently. But that wasn’t the end of it. The Fürth team also wanted to put on a show. At halftime, it was 3-5 from Fürth’s perspective. Eight goals in 45 minutes? The highest-scoring halftime in the history of the 2. Bundesliga! Only in the match between Kaiserslautern and Meppen in 1997 were eight goals also scored before the halftime whistle – 6-2, the score at the break back then.
Despite pulling a goal back, Fürth’s hopes of a comeback were dashed – the final score was 5-4. Such a goal fest is a rare occurrence in a player’s career, unless, of course, you’re playing for Magdeburg or Fürth this season. The first leg was no less exciting, with Fürth winning 5-4. For Magdeburg, however, the victory in the return leg proved to be their last win in the recent second division matches. Subsequently, FCM suffered defeats against Bielefeld (0-2), Schalke (3-5), Karlsruhe (1-3), and Elversberg (0-1). As a result, Magdeburg slipped to the bottom of the table ahead of their match against SV Darmstadt 98 next Friday evening (March 13th, 6:30pm).
| Top Scorer | Top Assists |
| Mateusz Zukowski – 11 Goals | Baris Atik – 10 Assists |
| Rayan Ghrieb – 4 Goals | Alexander Nollenberger – 3 Assists |
| Baris Atik – 4 Goal | Rayan Ghrieb – 3 Assists |
| Maximillian Breunig – 3 Goals | Laurin Ulrich – 3 Assists |
| Alexander Nollenberger – 3 Goals | Mateusz Zukowski – 2 Assists |
Petrik Sander
Coach of 1. FC MagdeburgAttention! Danger lurks from outside the area. Even if the Magdeburg lads are facing an impenetrable defense, they still have an ace up their sleeve. With 35 goals this season, Petrik Sander’s team may only have an average tally, but… The FCM players have realised that goals aren’t only scored from inside the box. 1. FC Magdeburg boasts the league-wide record for goals from outside the penalty area: Magdeburg has already netted seven goals this season without ever having to enter the box. They also lead the league in overall shots from outside the penalty area (162). So, beware of FCM’s long-range efforts!
He is currently the beacon of light for 1. FC Magdeburg in the relegation zone. Already hailed by many media outlets as a beacon of hope, Mateusz Zukowski’s goals are expected to keep the traditional East German club in the league. The Polish striker has already racked up eleven goals and three assists, meaning he is involved in over a third of all Magdeburg’s goals. This year alone, he has eight scorer points, six of which he collected in the two matches against Greuther Fürth and Schalke 04.
Until recently, it was completely unforeseeable that the Pole possessed such goalscoring qualities. He started his career as a right-back. And even before his move to Magdeburg, Zukowski was more at home on the wing. Just five goals in over one hundred top-flight matches in Poland hardly suggested the kind of breakthrough he’s currently experiencing in Magdeburg. But FCM believed in the 24-year-old, who had gained plenty of experience in his home country and even spent a year and a half under contract with the prestigious Glasgow Rangers.
Zukowski has been a club player since this season. But every beginning was difficult: due to a foot injury, he didn’t make his first competitive appearance for FCM until November. This fact makes it all the more remarkable that the Polish youth player has already contributed to 14 goals. Petrik Sander, head coach of 1. FC Magdeburg, emphasised the importance of the centre forward after the 5-4 victory in Fürth in February (where Zukowski scored a hat trick): „He is incredibly important for us because he brings a power and dynamism that we completely lacked.“ Zukowski himself summed it up in a few words: „I’m hungry for goals,“ said the Polish striker for 1. FC Magdeburg.
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.
Lilies at the Wildpark! SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC this coming Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) for the 32nd matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. Will Darmstadt's positive record from recent encounters continue? Will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg extend their scoring streak against KSC? And will Fabian Schleusener finally stop scoring against SV 98? We've compiled all the facts and figures for you.
SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC on Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) at the Wildpark Stadium for the 32nd matchday. To ensure you are well prepared for your trip to KSC, here is a summary of all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
To ensure a smooth and convenient journey to Karlsruhe this weekend, SV 98 is offering a special train service that will transport Lilies fans directly from Darmstadt to Karlsruhe and back. Additionally, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team will host SV Hummetroth at their home academy this Wednesday evening (April 29th). For more news and updates, check out our usual "Lilien Across the Board" – all the latest news about the club, gathered here for you.
At the end of the current season, the partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and Software AG, which has grown over many years, will end due to a strategic realignment of the software company.
The DFB sports court has suspended Patric Pfeiffer for one match following his sending-off against SV Elversberg.
Four goals, three points, and a well-deserved victory in the Hessenliga! At home against VfB 1905 Marburg last Saturday (April 25th), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally celebrated a win after a long wait. Thanks to their confidence, assertiveness in one-on-one situations, and numerous scoring opportunities, the U21s convincingly beat the Marburg team 4-0.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.