The Lilies have already played six times at home against 1. FC Köln. But SV Darmstadt 98 has never won one of these duels in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. So it's high time to end the series with a home win! On Friday evening (10.18/6:30pm) both teams will duel at the Bölle. Before the ball rolls, we have put together all the facts and figures for you.
With 20 goals, the Domstadt team has the best offense in the league so far. They also fired the most shots on the opponent’s goal (175). But the people of Darmstadt don’t have to hide when it comes to attack efforts either. In the four games so far under head coach Florian Kohfeldt, SV 98 has scored ten times. During this period, the Lilies even scored one more goal than the offensive league leader from “Effzeh”. Isac Lidberg, who is in second place on the second division top scorer list with six goals, certainly has a big contribution to this. The Swedish attacker is also the most effective player in the 2nd Bundesliga – he significantly exceeds his xGoals value of 2.7 with his six goals this season.
Aleksandar Vukotic does a really good job with the Lilies. He leads the league, particularly in the core business of his duties as a central defender: no other player in the 2nd Bundesliga won as many duels as the Serb. In total, the defender made 114 tackles and won 73 percent of the duels. Most recently, the 29-year-old even rewarded himself on the offensive – with a goal and an assist in the 3-3 draw in Karlsruhe.
The Lilien defense is secure – at least at corners. SV Darmstadt 98 has not yet conceded a goal from corners this season. But with 1. FC Köln, real corner kick experts come into play: “Effzeh” (58) won the most corners in the league, ahead of Darmstadt (56). In addition, Köln’s three goals from corners are the best in the 2nd Bundesliga.
Denis Huseinbasic could probably say “He’s coming home”. Köln’s number eight once played for SV Darmstadt 98 at the young age of 10. It is a special encounter for the midfielder from Erbach, for which the 23-year-old bought 13 tickets. “My whole family and my girlfriend are in the stadium,” Huseinbasic revealed in the club’s own interview with Cologne.
There are a few more players in the ranks of the Lilies, who will face their former club on Friday. However, Matthias Bader cannot take part due to a torn cruciate ligament. He is one of three Darmstadt residents who have a past at 1. FC Köln. Before moving to Bölle in winter 2020, “Matze” played for the cathedral town team for one and a half years. Marcel Schuhen is also an ex-Cologne native. The number one of SV 98 went through the youth department of „Effzeh“ from 2006 to 2012 and then played in 63 competitive games for the second team in the men’s division until 2015. Assistant coach Martin Heck also expects to see each familiar faces. Starting in 2007 as a youth coach, he spent 15 years at 1. FC Köln before moving to Osnabrück to play men’s football alongside Tobias Schweinsteiger and finally to the Lilies as assistant coach to Florian Kohfeldt.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | |
| Home | 6 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3:15 |
| Away | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 9:19 |
| Total | 14 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 12:34 |
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.