A cold shower in cold Berlin, but after a weak 30 minutes, they came back and absolutely deserved a point. Darmstadt experienced a rollercoaster of emotions in their away match against Hertha BSC, but after a convincing second half, the unbeaten run of the South Hessians remains intact. SV 98 has now gone ten league games unbeaten. While Marco Richter was happy to have salvaged a point after being 2-0 down, Fraser Hornby was annoyed that they hadn't managed to score the winning goal.
„That was a game of two phases. For the first half hour, Hertha were much better than us. If Cuisance had made it 3-0, we wouldn’t have been able to come back. But then a quality of my team showed: we don’t lose our heads after bad spells; we know we can rely on a few things. It gradually became apparent that we were getting more of a shot on goal. The penalty then brought us back into the game. But from the 35th minute onwards, we were well in the game and still had good chances in the second half. We were a bit lucky with the shot that hit the crossbar before they made it 2-2, but we played a superb away game from the second half onwards, and I’m very happy with the point in Berlin.“
„I’m disappointed because I was particularly pleased with the first half. We conceded nothing in the first half, apart from one shot. Pascal Klemens then made the wrong decision with the penalty. In the second half, we had two more chances: one hit the crossbar, and before they equalised, we had another great opportunity. Darmstadt then showed quality with good positional play, and we conceded the equaliser. Despite being down to ten men, the lads defended everything and even looked to attack themselves. A compliment to the lads. The 2-2 draw is fair overall, but given the first half, we should have gotten more out of it.“
„We didn’t start the match the way we wanted to. Hertha is a good team and they punished us for that. But then we gained more control of the game. That’s why the focus at halftime was on staying calm and trusting in our abilities. In the end, given our good second half, I’m even a little disappointed with just one point. But the way we started wasn’t up to our standard. We’ll definitely discuss that. The way we want to build up play from the back is important for us, but we can’t start the rest of the season’s games the way we did today. That’s why it’s important that we analyse it.“
„We didn’t start the game as aggressively as we had hoped. The first 30 minutes were a bit sluggish, which annoys me, and I don’t really have an explanation for it. The equaliser came at the right time. We addressed a few things at halftime and then played much better in the second half. We were really determined in the second half and had one or two excellent chances. I hope we can eliminate those lapses, but I’m optimistic. We’ll definitely take the point; I’m happy about that after being 2-0 down.“
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
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.