Analysis of the Nürnberg game: They know what they’re doing.

Or perhaps we should use the plural and call them „scenes“ of the game? Let’s start with the 60th minute, the famous game-changer. A set piece in front of the south stand at the Böllenfalltor stadium: A botched clearance attempt by the Nürnberg defence after a corner kick from Luca Marseiler landed right at the feet of Hiroki Akiyama. With a perfectly placed left-footed shot, the Japanese midfielder curled the ball into the net – sending the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor into raptures. And then some. „That goal opened the floodgates, it did us a world of good,“ Marseiler emphasised about Akiyama’s goal, before he himself would find the net a quarter of an hour later.

And that brings us to our second „moment of the match.“ A long ball from Marco Richter found Marseiler in stride. Back in Bochum, according to his head coach, Marseiler „should have scored two or three goals.“ But at the Bölle stadium, the SV 98 number eight remained incredibly composed despite the long sprint towards the opposing goal. When he saw Nürnberg’s ‚keeper rushing out, he coolly chipped the ball over him and into the net – 2-0, sealing the victory with Marseiler’s first goal of the season. „It was a very nice goal, but it was about time for him,“ joked teammate Merveille Papela after the final whistle.

The first half. Could SV Darmstadt 98 have complained if they had gone into halftime trailing? No. A lead for 1. FC Nürnberg after that first half would have been perfectly acceptable. But was it simply that the Lilies couldn’t find their rhythm and their performance wasn’t up to par? We must emphatically deny that as well. „To be honest, I didn’t think we played that badly in the first half. Nürnberg, however, were really good,“ Kohfeldt analysed at the post-match press conference.

The head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 instructed his team to adopt an active approach, well aware that 1. FC Nürnberg possesses enormous attacking qualities capable of exploiting gaps in a solid defensive formation. While Darmstadt pressed bravely, they risked being caught out on occasion. Nürnberg repeatedly found their way to the technically gifted number 10, Julian Justvan, while Darmstadt struggled to exploit those spaces. On the positive side, however, Darmstadt didn’t fall behind but instead remained solid. This was undoubtedly due to a bit of luck, but also to their determination to resolutely confront any obstacles.

They know what to do. „It’s a huge strength of my team to pick up points in games where things don’t go according to plan,“ Kohfeldt emphasised after the final whistle of the 19th matchday of the second division. The game against 1. FC Nürnberg, and especially the aforementioned first half, was the perfect example of this. But Darmstadt weren’t fazed by the setbacks and a really strong opponent; instead, they consistently trusted in their own abilities. „The first half was very difficult for us. Nevertheless, we found a way to win again here at home,“ Marco Richter underlined on the Sky microphone. Kohfeldt added at the press conference: „What distinguishes us is that we don’t lose our heads. We know what we want to do.“

So, at halftime, all it took was a focused pep talk and a few minor tactical adjustments to their pressing and approach to gradually turn the tide against Nürnberg in favour of Darmstadt. Hornby dropped slightly deeper in attack, while Akiyama moved further forward from his deep defensive midfield position. Another key move was switching Marseiler and Richter’s positions, with the aim of consistently finding the scorer of the second goal on the right wing after winning possession. All these changes paid off. Darmstadt knows what to do in every phase of the game. They have clear patterns and well-defined routines. „We are capable of being dangerous in every phase of the game,“ emphasised Darmstadt’s head coach. His team capitalised on the opportunities that led to both goals with remarkable efficiency. And even after that, Darmstadt had further chances to extend their lead. The reward for this strong performance? The team secured their tenth win of the season, bringing their points total to 35, 36, and 37. Kohfeldt’s conclusion: „We remained stable and had the greater stamina. Nürnberg was a really tough opponent. That’s why today’s victory is so valuable to me, because it required a very good performance.“

Versatility. When Luca Marseiler put the ball in the net after 75 minutes, he became Darmstadt’s tenth goalscorer this season. SV Darmstadt 98 is incredibly versatile in attack, as demonstrated by Marseiler’s goal and Akiyama’s. This fact becomes even clearer when we look at how the two goals came about. A well-positioned move by the Japanese player after a set piece led to the 1-0, while a quick counter-attack following an opponent’s set piece resulted in the 2-0 lead at home. „We are the team that scores the most goals from structured possession and good positional play,“ Kohfeldt emphasised, adding: „But we can also score from quick transitions or set pieces.“ This versatility is precisely what characterises SV 98 this season, and it was precisely this versatility that led to their 2-0 victory against 1. FC Nürnberg.

Facts and figures. Yes, looking at the statistics is also a lot of fun when researching this analysis. That’s precisely why we’ve categorised the following facts as such. Since May 2025 – that’s a good nine months – Darmstadt haven’t lost at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. This season, their home record boasts an impressive 24 points thanks to seven wins and three draws. „Home is a magical place for us, our home run is fantastic,“ Papela remarked happily in the mixed zone. But there’s more. Darmstadt are now unbeaten in eight matches – the longest streak of any second-division team this season. The main reason for their steady collection of points is their solid defense: Darmstadt have now kept eight clean sheets – a record surpassed only by Schalke and Hertha Berlin (both with 10). And offensively things are going really well too: After the 2-0 victory against 1. FC Nürnberg, we can describe the Lilies as the best attack in the league thanks to 34 goals this season (as of Saturday morning).