It's that time again! The Lilies start the first round of the DFB Cup. Next Sunday (August 18th/3:30pm) SV 98 will face regional league team Teutonia Ottensen. Before the kick-off sounds in FC St. Pauli's Millerntor Stadium, we'll tell you the most interesting facts and figures: What cup history do both teams have? What connections are there to Hamburg-Ottensen? And who from the 98 squad has the most experience in the national cup competition? Together with you we will take a look at the top facts about the game.
SV Darmstadt 98 looks back on a long cup history that includes more than 30 years of experience in this national competition. The highlight of the DFB Cup was the 1986/87 season, when the Lilies played their best cup season to date: after victories against SCC Berlin (3:0), BW Friedrichstadt (2:1) and Fortuna Köln (2:0 ) the men from the Böllenfalltor reached the quarter-finals for the only time so far, where they were narrowly defeated by Hamburger SV (0-1). SV 98 also qualified for the round of 16 a total of eight times – most recently in the 2022/23 season. There the Lilies were eliminated after victories against FC Ingolstadt and Borussia Mönchengladbach, it was a Hessenderby defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt (4-2).
Until this summer, ex-Lilie Immanuel Höhn was part of the Ottensen side and held two different roles at Teutonia Ottensen within a very short space of time. He was initially the Teutons‘ central defender from September 2023 and was used in 14 games. But on February 27th he ended his active career to take over as head coach for his employer. In this role he led the team in another 16 games. He finished the regional league season with Ottensen in 9th place and, by winning the Hamburg State Cup, ensured that Teutonia qualified for the DFB Cup for the third year in a row. Of course, Höhn is no stranger to Darmstadt: he joined the Lilies in the summer of 2016. During his five years at the Bölle, Höhn played a total of 115 games, scored six goals and assisted two more.
There is also another connection to Hamburg-Ottensen. Sebastian Hertner, who played for Darmstadt 98 from 2018 to 2020, was under contract with Teutonia Ottensen from 2022 until this summer. He made a total of 54 appearances for the Black and Whites and then moved to ETSV Hamburg. During his time with the Lilies, Hertner played 373 minutes in seven competitive games.
It was probably one of the greatest successes in the club’s history of FC Teutonia 05 Ottensen when the team qualified for the first round of the DFB Cup for the first time in the 2022/23 season. There the Hamburg team met the team from Leipzig, the eventual cup winners, and had to admit defeat to the Saxons 0:8. Even at their next attempt a year later against Bayer Leverkusen, the Black and Whites did not manage to book their ticket for the second round. Here too they lost 8-0, also against the eventual cup winners.
Which Lily has the most cup experience? Tobias Kempe is the leader in these statistics. The number eleven of the Lilies was used in a total of 18 DFB Cup games – seven of which he played for SV Darmstadt 98. He is followed by Fabian Holland with just one game less. The injured Darmstadt captain has 17 cup games to his name – 16 for the Lilies, one for Hertha BSC. Klaus Gjasula and Marcel Schuhen, who have twelve and ten appearances in the DFB Cup respectively, are also experienced players in the competition.
Karol Niemczycki is our cup goalkeeper, Torsten Lieberknecht announced after completing summer preparation. The Polish keeper of the Lilies is about to make his competitive debut in the SV Darmstadt 98 jersey. Meanwhile, Niemczycki should have fond memories of the DFB Cup. Last season he made it to the semi-finals while playing for Fortuna Düsseldorf and also had his share of success: the 25-year-old came in the victories in the second round against third division club Unterhaching (6:3 n.V.) and in the round of 16 against 1.FC Magdeburg (2:1).
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
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.
