The Lilies have been unbeaten in eight league games, the Red Devils in seven duels. The two strongest teams in the 2nd Bundesliga will meet in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor on Saturday evening (December 14th/8:30pm): SV Darmstadt 98 will host 1. FC Kaiserslautern. As usual, there are the most important figures and facts for you in advance.
… no longer lost! Neither in all of October and November nor in the current month of December did the Lilies leave the field as losers. SV Darmstadt 98 has been unbeaten in eight second division games – four wins, four draws. No other team currently has such a long streak. With another matchday on which the Darmstadt team remains undefeated, they could also equal Karlsruhe SC’s record. At the beginning of this season, the Baden team remained undefeated nine times in a row.
They are in a really good mood and have won all of their last three duels! 1. FC Kaiserslautern has also been undefeated for seven league games – only the Lilies‘ unbeaten streak, as we know, lasts one game longer. But the Lauterers are ahead in terms of points scored over the last seven match days. No other team in the 2nd Bundesliga collected more points in this phase – 17 in total with five wins and two draws for FCK. So it’s no wonder that the Palatinate team is currently in second place in the second division table with 26 points.
Two of the most offensive teams in the 2nd Bundesliga will meet in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor on Saturday evening. SV Darmstadt 98 has 30 goals this season, with 1. FC Kaiserslautern lurking just behind with 29 goals. Only HSV is better, having scored 33 times to date. When it comes to scoring goals, FCK has a preference for set piece situations. They scored 10 times from set pieces, only Fürth scored once more. On the other hand, the Red Devils‘ five corner goals are a league best. BUT! Darmstadt have only conceded one goal from a corner – that is also a league best.
Aleksandar Vukotic measures 2.01 meters. And he knows how to use his height. The central defender scored his third goal of the season in SV 98’s 2-2 draw against Hamburger SV. The Serb scored all three goals with his head. A value that is only topped by Davie Selke in the 2nd Bundesliga. The HSV striker has already netted four times with his head.
Markus Anfang was the head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 in the 2020/21 season and ended up in seventh place in the table with the Lilies. Together with his assistant coach Florian Junge, he spent a year at Böllenfalltor before both moved to SV Werder Bremen. Frank Ronstadt, on the other hand, was active in Darmstadt for longer. The right-back was under contract with SV 98 from 2021 to January 2024 and made a total of 44 appearances. The goalkeeper coach of 1. FC Kaiserslautern also has a past at SV Darmstadt 98: Andreas Clauß stood between the posts in 125 competitive games for the South Hesse team during his active career from 1999 to 2003.
On the Darmstadt side there is only one player who has a history with the upcoming opponent. Paul Will laced up his football boots for 1. FC Kaiserslautern as a youth. The defensive midfielder played for the Red Devils‘ U17 and U19 teams from 2015 to 2018.
Fabian Nürnberger and Kai Klefisch currently have four yellow cards.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Defeats | Goals | |
| Home | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 12:6 |
| Away | 5 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5:9 |
| Total | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 17:15 |
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.
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.