When Christopher Antwi-Adjei appeared on the left in front of Marcel Schuhen in the 62nd minute, many Bochum players were already screaming for goal. But the offensive player failed on the shoulder of Darmstadt's number one and the Lilies' direct counterattack developed. Less than 30 seconds after the missed chance, the ball was in the Bochum net. Tim Skarke crowned the beautiful attack with the next goal and at the same time initiated the comeback. A good half hour later it was clear: Anyone who writes off the SV 98 is often making a mistake. Both in the game on Easter Sunday and in the final spurt of the Bundesliga.
“That shows what kind of morale our team has,” Tim Skarke later explained on the ARD microphone, thus being on the same wavelength as Christoph Klarer. “Coming back after a 2-0 defeat and against this force that the stadium is developing shows that this team is alive,” said the defender, before adding: “A team that doesn’t believe in itself won’t come back here today .“
Belief in your own strength and in the continued opportunity. It is often invoked around the Böllenfalltor, but the game in Bochum showed that it is actually firmly anchored in the minds of Darmstadt.
“All together now”, with this choreo from the guest block, the Lilies were welcomed at the start of the second half. Do everything together to not only preserve your own opportunity, but to seize it in the coming weeks. A defeat on Easter Sunday would have put a severe damper on this project, but the 2-2 draw means SV 98 can now at least look positively towards the upcoming away game. Knowing full well that it is now finally high time to achieve a victory. „Of course we know that we actually need three points in our situation,“ Klarer admitted at the end of the 90 minutes in Bochum, but qualified: „Still, it’s an important point. Because we showed morale.“
With the knowledge of their own morale and the awareness that they need to win three points as soon as possible, the Darmstadt team will now prepare for next Saturday. „There’s a really great game ahead against Mainz 05. We want to take the chance to get closer,“ said Torsten Lieberknecht at the press conference in the Ruhrstadion, while Skarke spoke of a „deciding game“ that will take place on the 28th matchday in the Rhineland-Palatinate Capital is waiting.
A really great game against Mainz 05 awaits
“All together” will be the motto again. The guest contingent for the encounter was sold out within a few days, but the team in Mainz will be assured of the support of the lily fans. And conversely, SVD supporters can be sure of one thing: giving up is not an option for their favorite team. And whoever comes back from Bochum in the pouring rain with their backs against the wall can still achieve a lot on the remaining match days. The message that Lieberknecht sent out late in the game in Bochum was correspondingly clear: „We are stubborn. We are sticking with it. It remains our championship to achieve relegation.“
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
A special place of remembrance for one of the most famous Darmstadt fans. Before SV Darmstadt 98's home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), Jonathan Heimes Square at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor will be officially opened.
Darmstadt's league campaign resumes on Sunday (August 30th). Their opponent? Hannover 96! Hannover 96 have lost more often to Darmstadt than to any other team in the 2. Bundesliga. All the other facts and figures surrounding the match can be found here.
On Sunday (August 30, 2026, 1:30pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game. Starting this season, we will be offering women's entrances at the west entrances. Additionally, there is a Bölle Bande family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance.
In Wednesday's media briefing, Nicolas Verkooijen spoke about his Kickbase team, communication within the squad, and the intensive training in Germany. A former Darmstadt 98 player had the opportunity to compete against the best footballers, and we report on the historic stadium tour as part of the Bundesliga's founding anniversary celebrations. All the latest news from SV Darmstadt 98 can be found, as usual, in "Lilies Across the Board"
A journey to the roots of the Lilies: Where churches, residential buildings, or clubhouses stand today, Darmstadt football history was once written. To mark the Day of German Football History, 35 participants set out on a special tour of discovery aboard the professional team's bus—tracing the path from the early pitches of FK Olympia and SC Darmstadt to the club's current home at the Böllenfalltor.