The historic Olympiastadion in Berlin: With a capacity of over 74,000 spectators, it is the largest stadium in the 2nd Bundesliga and the home of Hertha BSC. The stadium, which hosts the annual DFB Cup final, was built for the 1936 Summer Olympics and is considered one of Germany's football landmarks. On Saturday afternoon (April 12th, 1pm), the Lilies will travel to Berlin to face Hertha for Matchday 29 of the 2nd Bundesliga, and we've compiled the top facts about the match for you.
After a rather rocky start under new coach Stefan Leitl, Hertha BSC is gaining momentum. The Berlin club recently celebrated three consecutive victories – including an impressive 1-0 away victory against second-placed 1. FC Köln. Now the „Old Lady“ could reach a milestone: With another win, Hertha would record four consecutive victories for the first time since 2013. Back then, the head coach was Jos Luhukay – and at the end of that season, they celebrated the 2. Bundesliga championship title.
In the last match against 1. FC Köln, Fabian Reese once again emerged as the match winner: With his goal to make it 1-0, he not only secured three crucial points for Hertha BSC, but also scored for the fourth consecutive game. The 27-year-old is currently in impressive form, having scored seven of Hertha’s last eleven goals. Since joining the Berlin club, Reese has made 48 appearances, scoring 20 goals and providing 18 assists.
Hertha BSC prefers to play from the wings: With 328 crosses from open play, the Berlin team is among the most prolific in the league – only Karlsruher SC (354) and SC Paderborn (388) deliver more crosses from outside the box. The Lilies, however, needn’t let this intimidate them. A tall man is waiting in the center: Aleksandar Vukotić, a giant in the Lilies jersey at over two meters, is currently the strongest aerial tackler in the 2. Bundesliga. With 129 aerial duels won, he comfortably leads the league rankings.
To take something tangible from Berlin, one particular discipline could make the difference: set pieces – especially free kicks. This is precisely where the Old Lady’s Achilles heel lies this season. Hertha BSC has already had to clear the ball out of its own net six times after a direct or indirect free kick – no other team in the 2. Bundesliga is more vulnerable in this category.
Hertha should be prepared for one thing in particular: the Lilies‘ counterattacking prowess. Whenever their opponents give SV Darmstadt 98 too much space at the back, the South Hesse side react quickly – and strike with icy coolness. With six counterattack goals scored, SVD is among the league leaders in this discipline, ranking third. For Hertha BSC, this means that every turnover can be extremely dangerous. The Lilies know how to convert speed into goals.
Stefan Leitl and Florian Kohfeldt have faced each other as head coaches three times – and Kohfeldt has prevailed three times. While the team’s colours have changed over the years, one thing has remained constant: Leitl is still waiting for his first victory in a head-to-head duel. The last meeting between the two coaches was not that long ago: Leitl – then coach of Hannover 96 – and Kohfeldt faced off in the first half of this season. Darmstadt won 2-1 in Hannover – and Kohfeldt thus continued his personal streak against Leitl.
Leitl’s recent introduction to the blue and white club colours isn’t new to Hertha. During his playing days, the former midfielder also played for Darmstadt 98 in the Regionalliga Süd from 2004 to 2007. In 93 games for the Lilies, Leitl scored 14 goals and provided three assists.
Jean-Paul Boetius, a former Hertha player, plays for Darmstadt. The Dutchman began his career at Feyenoord Rotterdam. After loan spells with Genk and Basel, he eventually landed in Germany with Mainz 05 and then with Hertha BSC in the 2022/23 season. He made 21 Bundesliga appearances for the capital club. His CV includes a total of 143 Bundesliga appearances, including twelve goals and 20 assists. Boëtius has already made eight appearances, including two assists, in the 2. Bundesliga since joining SV 98.
Aleksandar Vukotic (9), Matej Maglica (4), Philipp Förster (4), Fabian Nürnberger (4), Fraser Hornby (4), and Merveille Papela (4) have already been booked. A further yellow card for any of the players would result in a suspension.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | |
| Home | 13 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 15:16 |
| Away | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 7:16 |
| Total | 23 | 7 | 5 | 11 | 22:32 |
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.