Finally second division football again in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor! On Sunday (August 4th) SV Darmstadt 98 welcomes the Fortuna Düsseldorf team. Before the ball rolls from 1.30pm, we'll look at the most important facts and figures ahead of the 21st meeting between the two teams. How did the Lilies' last home game against the Rhinelanders end? Why were Fortuna so strong last season? And what connections are there to Düsseldorf? We'll tell you.
The Lilies have good memories of SV 98’s last home game against Fortuna Düsseldorf. In the 2022/23 second division season, at the end of which the Darmstadt team was promoted to the Bundesliga, both teams met in the first half of the season in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. In a tight game, SV 98 won the game from a set piece situation: Patric Pfeiffer scored the important 1-0 winning goal in the 73rd minute.
The Lilien fans, on the other hand, do not have good memories of many other matches against Fortuna Düsseldorf. After all, the team from North Rhine-Westphalia has won ten of twelve second division games against SV 98 in the last 35 years. The two Lilien victories in October 2022 and April 2018 remained the exception. It’s about time to slowly put an end to the Fortuna run…
What an impressive season from Fortuna Düsseldorf. Last season, head coach Daniel Thioune’s team narrowly missed promotion to the German top flight – Fortuna only lost out to VfL Bochum in the relegation penalty shootout. Before that, however, the Düsseldorf team put in impressive performances: the Rhinelanders have not lost a second division game since February. Altogether, Fortuna Düsseldorf has 14 unbeaten league duels in a row – with nine wins and five draws. A series that, from Lilien’s point of view, can stay in the old season.
With 72 goals scored, Fortuna Düsseldorf had the best offensive of the past second division season. Will such an impressive number be achieved again? Finally, the Rhinelanders lost their top scorer in Christos Tzolis this summer. The Greek scored 22 goals and became top scorer in the 2nd league together with Robert Glatzel (HSV) and Haris Tabakovic (Hertha). But Tzolis moved to Club Bruges during this transfer window.
Of the entire SV Darmstadt 98 squad, only Karol Niemczycki once wore the Fortuna Düsseldorf jersey. The Polish keeper was under contract with the 95ers for a year from 2023 to 2024 and played a total of three competitive games. Christoph Zimmermann doesn’t have a Fortuna past, but he does have a Düsseldorf past. The central defender of SV 98 is a native of Düsseldorf. He also played for SC Düsseldorf-West in his youth.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Defeats | Goals | |
| Home | 10 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 11:19 |
| Away | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 9:20 |
| Overall | 20 | 6 | 2 | 12 | 20:39 |
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.
Tickets for the league match in Nürnberg (Nov. 7th) and the cup match in Elversberg (Oct. 27th) are available for purchase now.
For the upcoming home match on Saturday (October 10th, 2026, at 1pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information. Since the start of the season, we have been offering dedicated entrances for women at the west side of the stadium. Additionally, there is a "Bölle Bande" family entrance with easier access at the Karl-Hess-Platz entrance. Please also take note of the information provided by HEAG regarding the autumn break.