After two home games in a row, SV Darmstadt 98 is travelling again. During the week, the Lilies appear on Wednesday evening (30.10/8.45pm) in the DFB-Pokal against SG Dynamo Dresden. A game, with only two possibilities – either get ahead or get out. You can read all facts and figures about the cup fight in our Top Facts.
If the 98ers like a game, it’s probably the away game in Dresden. The Darmstadt team won the last three games in the Saxon capital. In any case, the balance at the Rudolf Harbig Stadium is quite positive: out of five duels in Dresden, the Lilies won four with only one defeat. The black and yellow home ground is also not unknown territory in the DFB Cup: the two teams met in the second round of the cup in the 2020/21 season. In December 2020, SV 98 won confidently and clearly 3-0 – Schnellhardt, Dursun and Paik were the goal scorers at the time. A game outcome that can happily be repeated. The Lilies also have fond memories of the last duel in Dresden in the 2021/22 season. In the third minute of injury time, Honsak scored the 1-0 winning goal for SVD. This is also a result that the people of Darmstadt would take on Wednesday evening.
The fact that the DFB Cup has its own rules became clear in round one of the competition this season. The lower-class teams beat the higher-class teams: Arminia Bielefeld won against Hannover 96, Jahn Regensburg against VfL Bochum or Offenbach against 1. FC Magdeburg. The Lilies‘ upcoming opponent also presented themselves strongly. In front of their home crowd, Dynamo Dresden, as a third division team, achieved a 2-0 win against Fortuna Düsseldorf – mind you, the current leaders of the 2nd Bundesliga.
Fortress RHS? The Rudolf Harbig Stadium in Dresden has been impregnable so far this season. No team has been able to celebrate an away win here this season. Dynamo has been unbeaten in the league for six home games – three wins, three draws. In the home table of the 3rd league, the SGD is in third place with twelve points. In addition, twelve home goals scored are the third best value in the competition. The number of hits in front of their home crowd is only exceeded by Cottbus (17) and Ingolstadt (13).
Dynamo Dresden is a little ahead of SV Darmstadt 98 in one thing. The Saxons were already in the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. In the 1993/94 season, Dresden made it to the last four. After victories against Wolfsburg, Hannover, Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen, the cup journey ended in the semi-finals after a 0-2 defeat against Werder Bremen. But things haven’t really gone that far for the SGD in recent years. In 2014/15, Dynamo failed away to Borussia Dortmund in the round of 16, and in the following years it was over after either the first or second round. The Lilies, on the other hand, last made it to the round of 16 two years ago. The South Hesse team reached this round a total of eight times. The best result, however, is reaching the quarter-finals in the 1986/87 cup season, when the Böllenfalltor team ultimately had to admit defeat to HSV.
In the past, two players found their way from Dynamo Dresden to Darmstadt in southern Hesse. In the summer of 2014, it was Tobias Kempe who signed the contract with the Lilies after one and a half years in Dresden. During his time at Dynamo, the midfielder played a total of 34 games from January 2013 to June 2014 and scored four goals. From Dresden to Darmstadt. Paul Will also took the same path last summer. He said goodbye after four years at the Dynamo and has been playing for SV 98 ever since. He was an integral part of the third division club during his time at the headquarters and played 129 times in black and yellow. Unfortunately, the 25-year-old is unable to see his old employer again on the pitch due to a torn cruciate ligament.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Defeats | Goals | |
| Home | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 6:3 |
| Away | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 10:6 |
| Overall | 9 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 16:9 |
The second consecutive away game, and the last of the season, is upon us. Once again on a Sunday (May 10th, 1:30pm), Darmstadt will be playing away – this time against SC Preußen Münster. Everything you need to know for your final away trip of the season to the LVM-Preußenstadion, about three and a half hours away, can be found here in the usual fan information section.
There's a lot going on at the Bölle. The 98th Darmstadt baby of 2026, along with their family, visited the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, and they weren't the only ones. Where else the Bölle gang has ended up, and many more news items about the club, can be found here in our "Lilies Across the Board" section, as every Wednesday.
SV Darmstadt 98 informed all season ticket holders about the season ticket procedure for the 2026/27 season on Wednesday (May 6th) and would also like to share this letter on the club's own website.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
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.