What does it take to score against VfB Stuttgart? And who is available for this? How does Torsten Lieberknecht rate the Swabians? And how does he view the fight to stay in the league? The head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 answered these and other questions at the press conference on Thursday. We have summarized the most important statements before the home game on Saturday (February 17/3:30 p.m.).
Braydon Manu and Mathias Honsak will miss the weekend. We were hoping that Braydon would be able to return to team training this week. However, that will hopefully be postponed until next week, when Honsak should also join in again. Tobias Kempe is in training after his flu-like infection, but is not yet an option for Saturday. Gerrit Holtmann will also not be there against Stuttgart due to muscular problems. Jannik Müller and Bartol Franjic trained individually this week, with Bartol able to return to team training yesterday. We assume that there are no big question marks behind either of them with a view to Saturday. Clemens Riedel and Fraser Hornby are also missing with long-term injuries, but their rehab progress looks good. Tim Skarke and Matej Maglica are not available due to their yellow card suspensions.
We presented ourselves well in Gladbach and kept a clean sheet. For us, it’s also about the attitude we show. Of course three points would help more. But one point in the constellation was fine. The boys implemented what we had prepared well, especially defensively. The game showed once again that we are capable of getting our points in the first division.
We want to win the game. And we believe we can win against Stuttgart. We need this firm faith. We would be very happy with one point, but we would prefer three. That’s why we strive for this. To achieve this, we need a top performance as a team and have to deliver a perfect game. In addition, everyone has to individually grow beyond themselves in their position. We will also come into situations against Stuttgart, third in the league, where we need that little bit of luck to get through them. We will therefore try to invest everything again.
VfB Stuttgart has a lot of gamblers and free spirits in the team and an overall good mix in the team. Their style of play is similar to that of Bayer Leverkusen, they play in high possession with a similar structure with little contact between the rows. This also has to do with the fact that after last season we were able to free the boys‘ minds and awaken their enthusiasm for the game. This is primarily the responsibility of the coach who made it work with his coaching team. A clear trainer’s handwriting can be seen and they are right where they are now.
I think everything is still doable. Our goal remains to stay in the league – there are still two ways to achieve this. I believe that anyway. We already had phases in the second half of the season in which some things seemed much more mature and grown-up. We have certainly already spoken in team meetings about the fact that we need to bring an all-in mentality at certain points, but we must not become headless.
Marvin Mehlem needs the minutes to get back into his rhythm. The game in Gladbach and the training week were a step forward. He is someone who can steal the ball in an unorthodox way and thus helps the team. If he manages to finish these balls cleanly, he is someone who is totally valuable to us.
Deniz played his first professional game under me in Braunschweig, but otherwise played in the second team at Eintracht and scored goals there. Deniz has this nose for goals. He is currently on the way to becoming a German national player. I wish that for him too. He developed really well because he always believed in himself.
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
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.
