A thrilling match ends without a winner: Darmstadt and VfL Bochum drew 3-3 (2-2) in a captivating and entertaining game. The mood ranged from frustration at not securing two more points and dissatisfaction with their own shortcomings to a resulting sense of satisfaction with the away point. After the rollercoaster ride in Bochum, the players assessed their start to the second half of the season.
SV Darmstadt 98 started 2026 with a positive result: The Lilies drew 3-3 (2-2) with VfL Bochum after a thrilling 90 minutes. Fraser Hornby and Isac Lidberg scored for the South Hessian side, while Bochum's temporary 3-2 lead was officially recorded as an own goal. After 18 matchdays, Darmstadt now has 34 points.
Darmstadt 98 kick off the second half of the season with an away match in Bochum. Compared to the last match of the first half of the season in Paderborn, Florian Kohfeldt has made only one change to his starting eleven: Fraser Hornby replaces Killian Corredor (hip problems). Matthias Bader (meniscus surgery) and Bartosz Bialek (ankle injury) will also miss the start of the second half of the season. Fabian Nürnberger is not yet back in the squad after his long break from training (knee problems).
Darmstadt travel to the Ruhr region on Sunday (January 18th). The Lilies play VfL Bochum in their first match of the second half of the season. Kick-off is at 1:30pm at the Vonovia Ruhrstadion. You can find all the important information about the 18th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga in our "Matchday Compact" section.
Beer prices at the Bölle stadium will be adjusted and increased by 50 cents starting with SV 98's home game against 1. FC Nürnberg (January 23rd, 6:30pm). A 0.5l beer will therefore cost €5.50 instead of the previous €5.00. A five-pack of beer will be available for €27.50 instead of €25.00.
The competitive season of 2026 kicks off! Darmstadt 98 will start their second half of the season on Sunday (January 18th, 1:30pm) away against VfL Bochum. How does Florian Kohfeldt assess their upcoming opponent? What is Darmstadt 98's approach? And how much are they looking forward to the second half of the season? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday afternoon (January 16th) ahead of the match at the Ruhrstadion. We've summarised the most important statements for you.
Matthias Bader was diagnosed with a torn medial meniscus in his right knee during examinations this week. The 28-year-old had complained of knee problems during the training camp in El Saler and had to take a break from training. Bader underwent successful surgery on Wednesday (January 14th). The full-back will therefore be unavailable to Darmstadt for the next few weeks.
The second half of the season is about to begin, and Darmstadt 98 will be traveling a good 266 kilometres to their away match against VfL Bochum on Sunday (January 18th, 1:30pm). This report provides you with all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
The last victory in Bochum was a long time ago. To be precise, Darmstadt's last three points at VfL Bochum were in 1979. Darmstadt's current unbeaten run spans seven games – and they intend to carry this trend into the second half of the season. Things are also going well at the Castroper Straße stadium since Uwe Rösler took over as coach. We've compiled these and other statistics for you. Here are the top facts about the match between VfL Bochum and SV Darmstadt 98.
"Deep in the West, where the sun is dusty..." – The opening lines of Herbert Grönemeyer's cult song "Bochum" are more than just music. They represent a feeling, a way of life, that becomes palpable in the Ruhrstadion when thousands of voices sing along at the top of their lungs and blue and white scarves are held aloft. The song speaks of toughness, honesty, and solidarity – exactly what VfL Bochum stands for. A club that never needed to shine to be loved, but always thrived on fighting spirit and down-to-earth values.