Figures & facts: The top facts about the Hertha game

SV Darmstadt 98 has recently blossomed again under Florian Kohfeldt. If you just look at the last seven match days, the Lilies would be in third place in the table with twelve points. Since the new coach has been on the sidelines, the Darmstadt team has been able to achieve three impressive victories: they scored five goals in each of these games, most recently away against SpVgg Greuther Fürth. In addition, there were three draws and only one defeat – a narrow 1-2 against 1. FC Magdeburg at home.

… Hertha has been away so far in this year’s second division season. With three wins and one draw, the Berliners are the only team so far that has not lost on foreign turf. For the first time in the club’s history, the “Old Lady” managed to successfully play the first five away games in the 2nd Bundesliga. Things also went well in the DFB Cup: In the first round, Hertha celebrated a convincing 5-1 win over Hansa Rostock, relegated from the second division, and thus set another exclamation mark.

Darmstadt could certainly end Hertha’s impressive away streak. Between 1983 and 1993, the two teams met twelve times in the 2nd Bundesliga, and the Lilies were particularly successful at the “Bölle”: They won four of the six home games back then. Hertha did not manage a single second division victory in Darmstadt during this time. A total of five Darmstadt victories compare to three Hertha successes in the 2nd league. However, the recent record speaks in favour of the „Old Lady“ from the capital: The Berliners won the last three meetings at the Merck Stadium – twice in the Bundesliga and once in the DFB Cup.

He is unstoppable. In the last league game against SpVgg. Greuther Fürth, Isac Lidberg scored his eighth goal in the ninth second division game with the Lily on his chest. This puts the Swede in first place on the current top scorer list. In addition, Darmstadt’s number seven has got three assists and has eleven scorer points this year, with which he also leads this ranking. As if that wasn’t enough, the striker has the highest finishing efficiency in the league with a value of +4.14.

On Saturday, the fans in the Merck Stadium at the Böllenfalltor can expect a high-scoring game. Both teams have so far clearly exceeded their expected xGoals value. Darmstadt has already scored 23 times – with an xGoals value of 16.4. In the league, only Hamburger SV (25) and 1. FC Nürnberg (24) were able to score more goals than SVD. Hertha is also effective in front of goal: the Berliners have scored 19 goals this season, although their xGoals value is 14.7. That puts them just above the league average.

Even if Fabian Holland can’t be on the pitch himself this time, the meeting with Hertha is always a special one for the captain. Holland wore the blue and white Hertha jersey for twelve years and made the leap from youth football to the professional level. The 34-year-old played a total of 25 competitive games for the professional team, laying the foundation for his successful career.