Facts & Stats: The top facts about the Kiel 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.