Although a winning streak has come to an end in Dresden, the current home winning streak needs to be continued against Kiel. Tim Walter, the familiar yet new face on the Kiel coaching bench, is bringing a breath of fresh air to the North German side. All the facts and figures about the match between SV Darmstadt 98 and Holstein Kiel are compiled here for you. Here you'll find the key facts for Saturday's game.
The Bölle stadium has been an impregnable fortress this season. League rivals have visited Darmstadt twelve times, but no one has managed to steal more than a point. A look at their last six home games alone demonstrates the confidence the Lilies possess at home: six games, six wins. The number six is also significant against Holstein Kiel. Three draws and three wins is the record from the previous six encounters. Both of their last defeats date back to 2021.
And speaking of six: Kiel haven’t managed to secure three points in any of their last six matches. They’ve only managed two points during this period.
However, Tim Walter is now in charge and was already on the sidelines against SV Elversberg at the weekend. The „Walter-style ball,“ characterised by high possession, positional changes, and bold attacking play, is expected to be seen again in northern Germany. Against Elversberg, he demonstrated his intentions with 53 percent possession.
Before his stints at HSV and VfB Stuttgart, Walter’s first professional coaching position was with Holstein Kiel – in the 2018/19 season. His return as head coach resulted in a point against the top team from Elversberg.
Holstein Kiel may be in fifteenth place in the table, but they put in a tremendous effort. They throw themselves into tackles and are always willing to go the extra mile. With 224 tackles, the Storks currently have the second-most duels in the league. And only two teams cover more distance per game than the Storks, averaging 122.4 kilometres. Furthermore, KSV Holstein Kiel demonstrates a willingness to launch into sprints. They average 165 sprints per game, placing them third in the league, and complete 721 high-intensity runs per match – also ranking them third.
Given the immense effort Kiel puts in, what has been holding them back recently? The North German side has created 41 clear-cut chances throughout the season – only two teams in the 2. Bundesliga have managed more. However, Holstein Kiel squandered 28 of them. A telling example: their top scorer is a center-back: David Zec, who has five goals so far.
Kiel also boasts an expected goals (xG) of 34.1, yet they have only found the net 29 times. In contrast, SV Hannover 96 has 41.27 xG, but the players around Swedish striker Isac Lidberg have already found the back of the net 45 times.
But: Alexander Bernhardsson is back. After his injury, he made his comeback last weekend. He has two goals and six assists, making him the Storks‘ top scorer.
The South Hessians are particularly comfortable with set pieces. Only Paderborn (16) have celebrated more goals from set pieces than the 98ers (15). But one team’s joy is another’s sorrow in Saturday’s match. Kiel aren’t happy with this statistic, as no team has conceded more goals from set pieces than the Storks (16).
Florian Kohfeldt’s team is often very solid defensively and has a reliable presence in goal with Marcel Schuhen. The Darmstadt captain has conceded 28 goals this season; only four teams have let in fewer. Kiel, however, isn’t as vulnerable defensively as their current league position might suggest. They’ve conceded 35 goals, placing them in an average eleventh position.
Interestingly, both teams have allowed almost the same number of shots on goal so far. Darmstadt’s goalkeeper has faced 347 shots, while opposing teams have fired the ball at Kiel’s goal 348 times.
Five players are in danger of receiving their fifth yellow card in this match. For Darmstadt, Fraser Hornby and Luca Marseiler are both on the brink of receiving their fourth yellow card. For Holstein Kiel, Adrian Krapalik, Stefan Schwab, and David Zec need to be careful.
|
Games |
Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | |
|
Home |
7 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 11:10 |
|
Away |
9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 14:10 |
|
Overall |
16 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 25:20 |
We fought together. We celebrated together. We scored points together and celebrated spectacular football festivals. This season, our Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor has once again become a true blue and white fortress. We were on the pitch, and you were in the stands. In 13 home games, we remained undefeated 13 times. Let's keep it that way in the final stretch of the season!
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team suffered a 4-1 defeat at home against FC Gießen on Sunday. The team, currently twelfth in the table, hosted the favoured visitors, who secured third place with this victory.
Strengthening vocational training and further education in southern Hesse: To this end, the Darmstadt Chamber of Industry and Commerce (IHK Darmstadt) and SV Darmstadt 98 have entered into a cooperation agreement. IHK Managing Director Robert Lippmann and Martin Kowalewski, Managing Director for Marketing and Sales at SV Darmstadt 98, signed the corresponding cooperation agreement at the Böllenfalltor stadium.
Darmstadt 98 remain unbeaten in their 13th home game of the season with a 2-0 victory against Holstein Kiel. An early red card played into Darmstadt's hands in the match against the "Storks." As the game progressed, the team from southern Hesse took complete control, securing a comfortable win and celebrating Isac Lidberg's 13th goal of the season and Niklas Schmidt's first goal for Darmstadt. Analysis of the home victory follows.
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
A fast-paced start, a disjointed first half after Marcus Müller's sending-off. However, Darmstadt showed a different side at the start of the second half. After an early double strike in the second half from goals by Isac Lidberg and Niklas Schmidt, the team from southern Hesse cruised to a comfortable home victory.
Matches at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor continue to inspire Darmstadt to top performances! The home side deservedly defeated Holstein Kiel 2-0 (0-0), securing their seventh consecutive home win. After a difficult first half, the team from southern Hesse came out strong after the break: Lidberg (48th minute) and Schmidt (52nd minute) put their team on the path to victory early in the second half. Darmstadt now boasts 52 points after 25 matchdays.
Matchday 25 of the 2. Bundesliga is upon us. Darmstadt 98 host Holstein Kiel at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven compared to the defeat in Dresden. Aleksandar Vukotić replaces the suspended Patric Pfeiffer in central defence, Merveille Papela comes in for Raoul Petretta, and Marco Richter starts in place of Killian Corredor, who is unavailable due to a knock sustained in the Dresden match. Fabian Nürnberger, Matthias Bader, Bartosz Bialek, and Fraser Hornby remain sidelined with injuries.
Darmstadt 98 are aiming for their seventh consecutive home win in their match against Holstein Kiel on Saturday afternoon (March 7th, 1pm) at the Merck Stadium am Böllenfalltor. Find all the important information about Matchday 25 in our "Matchday Guide" overview.
On Saturday (07.03/1pm) SV Darmstadt 98 will host the team from Holstein Kiel and asks you to take note of the following information.
What kind of opponent can Darmstadt expect from Holstein Kiel? What lessons has SV Darmstadt 98 learned from their defeat against Dresden? And what will be crucial on Saturday afternoon (March 7th/1 pm)? Head coach Florian Kohfeldt answered these and other questions at the press conference on Thursday (March 5th). We've summarised the most important statements from our head coach's press conference for you.
Unmistakably, he glides elegantly across the sky. And when he’s not soaring through the air, he perches atop his nest, which can be up to two metres in diameter. His predominantly white plumage defines his appearance. His red beak and legs provide a striking contrast. We’re talking, of course, about the stork.