After advancing in the DFB Cup, SV 98's focus shifts back to league play. Tomorrow, Saturday (October 31st, 1pm), the Lilies host 1. FC Magdeburg at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ahead of the match, our head coach spoke about the team's sporting approach, the opponent's strengths, and the importance of passion, fighting spirit, and consistency throughout the entire season.
Personnel update: Luca Marseiler, Fabian Nürnberger, and Merveille Papela remain sidelined. Carlo Sickinger and Nicolas Verkooijen are also unavailable. Verkooijen is still undergoing final examinations following his injury-related substitution in the DFB Cup.
We fundamentally want to continue with a playing style that I still favour: playing active and dominant football. This has been very evident over the past two years. However, at the beginning of this season, we entered a phase where we have to admit that this style of play was simply too prone to errors. It’s also true that we are the team against whom opponents are statistically by far the most effective. Statistically, we allow significantly fewer scoring opportunities than we concede goals, but nevertheless, as I’ve already said, it was a clear decision that we need to minimise the risk we take when defending. However, this doesn’t mean we can’t play boldly with the ball and continue to be proactive and attack-minded.
Magdeburg is a team that will press us extremely high and defend man-to-man. With the ball, they have many different options: overloading the wings, switching play, and making runs in behind. They also have exceptional players for this league, like Zukowski, Atik, and Nollenberger, who, in my opinion, looked good against Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening. Even though it ended in a 6-1 defeat, they were really competitive for a long time. They weren’t just there to participate; they actively shaped the game. These are, of course, things that we’ll be taking into account in our preparations for Saturday.
The foundation for our performance in the last two games was a raw passion, an enormous fighting spirit, and a remarkable capacity for suffering. That must remain our fundamental approach. Nothing has changed for me. We are still eighteenth in the table and we all have a responsibility to deliver results.
The club is structured in such a way that it can be a development club for players. This has many facets, many of which aren’t visible from the outside. But, for example, you can’t talk about individual video analysis if you only have one analyst. Similarly, you can’t talk about individual physical development in the athletic area if you only have one athletic trainer. Incidentally, in my view, this also reflects a certain arrogance on the part of football towards other sports. There are hardly any other sports with a worse coach-to-athlete ratio than football. I don’t understand where this fear comes from in football of being allowed to consider a player as an individual. Our staff isn’t larger than at comparable clubs, and I don’t think it’s too large either.
The crucial thing is that we managed to remain consistent for the full 90 minutes in each of the last two matches. Reducing our inconsistencies off the ball and winning every challenge decisively. That’s exactly what I want to see again tomorrow. Then I’m optimistic that we can deliver a good result. But that is and remains the foundation. We first have to show that these fundamental virtues are always present before we can talk about anything else. That’s what I want to emphasise to the fans tomorrow. I believe that the Bölle is a place where exactly these kinds of things are appreciated. We saw that against St. Pauli, and we absolutely have to bring that to the pitch again tomorrow. And then, perhaps unusually for me to say: Tactical aspects, space, dependencies, and different levels are of course also part of football and are important. But these aspects come after that.
Blue and white flags, homemade sashes, and boundless passion for their club: 1. FC Magdeburg's fans support their team with great enthusiasm. In the late 1970s, the first supporters formed fan clubs and actively participated in club life. On Saturday (October 31st), SV Darmstadt 98 will host Magdeburg at 1 p.m. A perfect opportunity to take a look at the development and unique aspects of Magdeburg's fan culture.
On the occasion of Matchday 10, Darmstadt 98 host 1. FC Magdeburg at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor. While Darmstadt 98 are known for collecting points in front of their home crowd, the visitors impress with their attacking prowess and dangerous counter-attacks. Find out which statistics are particularly interesting ahead of the match and what distinguishes both teams in our Facts & Figures section.
Our premium partner ENTEGA is once again providing unique stadium experiences this season. For every home game, you can win two VIP fan seats in the main stand and also gain access to the ENTEGA VIP lounge. The application deadline for the match against 1. FC Magdeburg is Thursday (October 29th) at 6pm.
On Saturday (31.10.2026/1pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game.
The main and jersey partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and HAIX will end as contractually agreed on June 30th, 2027 and will not be continued beyond that date.
Florian Kleinhansl couldn't help but chuckle when asked about the statistics from the previous cup match after the game. "For us, only one statistic mattered today. And we won that one," said the 26-year-old after SV 98's surprising 2-0 victory against the eighth-placed Bundesliga team. It was a coup that demanded a lot from the Lilies. The hosts recorded 18 corners, 26 shots on goal, and 74 percent possession. And yet, in the end, an away win for the team from southern Hesse was displayed on the scoreboard in Saarland.
Fight, dedication, efficiency, an outstanding Marcel Schuhen, and also the necessary dose of luck. These were the ingredients for Darmstadt's cup upset against SV Elversberg. The players were overjoyed afterward, having fought their way to the next round against the favoured Bundesliga side.
With tremendous dedication, Darmstadt secured their place in the next round! The Lilies rewarded themselves for a tremendous fight and incredible defensive work by advancing to the round of 16. The final score was 2-0 (1-0) against SV Elversberg after 90 intense minutes in which the South Hessians suffered but fought tooth and nail against Elversberg's relentless onslaught. Kehl and Smit sealed the victory for Darmstadt's efficient performance.
In the second round of the DFB Cup, Darmstadt 98 will travel to face SV Elversberg. Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Christopher Lannert, Florian Kleinhansl, Nicolas Verkooijen, Lance Duijvestijn, and Hojae Lee will start in place of William Mikelbrencis, Noah Weißhaupt, Hiroki Akiyama, Marco Richter, and Fynn Lakenmacher. Richter is unavailable due to a minor thigh injury.
On Tuesday evening, SV 98 will travel to SV Elversberg for the second round of the DFB Cup. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will referee the match, and where can you watch the cup tie live? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the game against the Saarlanders in our "Matchday Guidet" format.
DFB Cup, Round Two: On Tuesday evening (October 27th), SV Darmstadt 98 will face SV Elversberg. The hosts have come a long way in just a few years. Where regional league football was once played at the Kaiserlinde stadium, Bundesliga football is now the norm. Elversberg achieved their rise through the leagues in record time. Now, the DFB Cup awaits, providing the next stage where they are eager to prove themselves.
The second round of the DFB Cup is upon us! On Tuesday (October 27th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit SV Elversberg. Find out what the two teams have in common, how they differ, and which statistics are particularly interesting before the cup match in our facts and figures.