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 |
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.
Lilies at the Wildpark! SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC this coming Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) for the 32nd matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. Will Darmstadt's positive record from recent encounters continue? Will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg extend their scoring streak against KSC? And will Fabian Schleusener finally stop scoring against SV 98? We've compiled all the facts and figures for you.
SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC on Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) at the Wildpark Stadium for the 32nd matchday. To ensure you are well prepared for your trip to KSC, here is a summary of all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
To ensure a smooth and convenient journey to Karlsruhe this weekend, SV 98 is offering a special train service that will transport Lilies fans directly from Darmstadt to Karlsruhe and back. Additionally, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team will host SV Hummetroth at their home academy this Wednesday evening (April 29th). For more news and updates, check out our usual "Lilien Across the Board" – all the latest news about the club, gathered here for you.
At the end of the current season, the partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and Software AG, which has grown over many years, will end due to a strategic realignment of the software company.
The DFB sports court has suspended Patric Pfeiffer for one match following his sending-off against SV Elversberg.
Four goals, three points, and a well-deserved victory in the Hessenliga! At home against VfB 1905 Marburg last Saturday (April 25th), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team finally celebrated a win after a long wait. Thanks to their confidence, assertiveness in one-on-one situations, and numerous scoring opportunities, the U21s convincingly beat the Marburg team 4-0.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
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.