First Darmstadt 98, then Real Madrid. Before Borussia Dortmund meets Los Blancos in the Champions League final (June 1), the 34th Bundesliga matchday is on the agenda. On the occasion of the last game of the season, SV 98 will be away at the Westfalenstadion. The game kicks off at 3:30pm. In our top facts we look at a game of opposites, the home game farewell of a BVB legend and have good and bad memories.
First the good news or the bad news? Ok, let’s start with the negative experience: In the last away game at Borussia Dortmund in the 2016/17 season, SV Darmstadt 98 lost 6-0. Now the good news. The Lilies showed the season before that there is another way. On the 7th matchday of the 2015/16 season, the South Hesse team gained a 2-2 draw against the team of the then BVB coach Thomas Tuchel. Marcel Heller had put the Lilies in the lead, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang turned the game around in the meantime. But the final word came from Aytac Sulu, who equalised in the 90th minute and at the same time secured the final score.
For the first time in nine years, Borussia Dortmund will finish a Bundesliga season outside the top four in the table. But due to their outstanding performances in the Champions League, the Black and Yellows themselves played a major role in ensuring that fifth place entitles them to take part in the premier class this season. This is exactly the place Borussia will hold at the end of the season – no matter how the game against the Lilies ends. While BVB is still fighting for the silver trophy in the final of the Champions League against Real Madrid on June 1st, SV Darmstadt 98 has to leave the Bundesliga as bottom of the table and go back to the second division after the 34th matchday.
More than a decade in the black and yellow jersey. Born in Dortmund, matured into a club legend in Dortmund. Marco Reus will play for BVB for the last time against SV Darmstadt 98 in front of the backdrop of Signal Iduna Park. The now 34-year-old has donned the Dortmund Borussia jersey in a total of 427 competitive games – behind Michael Zorc (572), Mats Hummels (506) and Roman Weidenfeller (453), Reus is fourth on Dortmund’s all-time record player list. He also scored 169 goals – second place in BVB’s all-time record goalscorer statistics. Particularly striking: Reus is the man for the important goals, with 47 of his 119 Bundesliga goals he scored in 1-0 wins for Borussia Dortmund. You can find out more about Marco Reus in our opponent check.
This is Christoph Zimmermann. The SV Darmstadt 98 central defender was under contract in Dortmund from 2014 to 2017, but only played in the second team at BVB. The 31-year-old played a total of 85 competitive games for Borussia Dortmund II – 27 of them in the 3rd league.
Jannik Müller misses the duel with Borussia Dortmund. The SV 98 defender saw his fifth yellow card of the season in the last home game against TSG Hoffenheim. Müller will therefore be missing next Saturday due to a yellow card.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | |
| Home | 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 6:11 |
| Away | 5 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 4:16 |
| Total | 10 | 2 | 2 | 6 | 10:27 |
SV 98's USA trip has begun: After landing in Houston, they travelled on to Darmstadt's sister city, San Antonio, where the Lilies have set up camp. The first activities begin on Saturday. We'll keep you updated on the trip and the Lilies' experiences in our USA travelogue.
On the occasion of Matchday 8 (Sunday, October 18th, 1:30pm), we will be playing away against Karlsruher SC at the BBBank Wildpark. Here's how you can be there for the away game: Member pre-sale for this match starts this coming Friday (September 25th) at 12pm – both online and at the ticket office at the Merck Stadium.
A connection to San Antonio, the end-of-year gathering for the legends team, and Headis action—there is plenty going on at the Lilies beyond the day-to-day routine of the second division. Plus, there is news regarding the upcoming home matches in October. As always, "Lilies Across the Board" brings you all the latest news and stories from life at SV Darmstadt 98.
Tickets for the two home matches against Energie Cottbus (Sat., Oct. 10th, 1pm) and 1. FC Magdeburg (Sat., Oct. 31st, 1pm) are now on general sale. Tickets are available for all stands.
As previously announced, SV Darmstadt 98 is utilising the combined international break in September and October for a planned club trip to San Antonio, Texas. The Lilies will visit Darmstadt’s sister city from September 25th to October 1st and play a friendly match against their partner club, San Antonio FC, on Tuesday, September 29th. In addition to this sporting highlight, the team and the delegation—comprising members of the executive board and management—will attend various scheduled engagements and events. Fusion energy company Focused Energy is serving as the main partner for the US trip as part of its premium partnership. Furthermore, the City of Darmstadt will undertake a business trip to San Antonio, led by Mayor Hanno Benz, from September 27th to October 1st, 2026.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team suffered a 2–0 (0–0) defeat away at Eintracht Stadtallendorf over the weekend. In a match that was evenly contested for long stretches, the Young Lilies held their own for a long time but failed to capitalise on their chances. Two goals after the break decided the match in favour of the hosts.
After securing a point against Elversberg in the first match of the Bundesliga Talent Series, the Lilien were defeated 2-0 by 1. FC Heidenheim in their second game.
A clear defeat in Wolfsburg on Friday evening. We’ve summarised the post-match reactions for you here:
SV 98 suffered a heavy defeat before the international break, ultimately losing 5-1 (2-1) away to promotion favourites VfL Wolfsburg.
Darmstadt will play away at Wolfsburg (September 18th/6:30pm). Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting eleven compared to the victory against Bielefeld. Nicolas Verkooijen replaces Marco Richter, and Aleksandar Vukotic starts in place of Yannik Lührs.
Evening match in Wolfsburg! On Friday evening (September 18th/6:30pm), SV 98 will be playing away against VfL Wolfsburg. 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 Wolfsburg for you in our "Matchday Guide".
