With their 4-1 home victory against VfL Bochum, SV Darmstadt 98 achieved the biggest opening victory in their history in the 2. Bundesliga. They'll need to carry on this momentum on Friday (08/08/6:30pm), as the South Hesse team will travel to 1. FC Nürnberg. We've compiled the most important facts and figures for SV 98's first away game ahead of the two teams' clash.
SV Darmstadt 98 made a convincing start to the new season: In their 4-1 home win against VfL Bochum, the Lilies showed enthusiasm, efficiency – and, above all, hunger for goals. The focus of last Saturday afternoon was Isac Lidberg, who not only became the match-winner with a hat trick, but also secured his place in the 2. Bundesliga history books: No player has ever scored more goals on a league opening matchday.
With this confidence, they now head to their away game in Nürnberg, where the South Hesse team will once again rely on a solid team performance to achieve success away from home. 1. FC Nürnberg, on the other hand, had a bitter start to the season: In a match that was evenly matched for much of the season against SV Elversberg – last year’s relegation playoff contender for promotion to the Bundesliga – the Franconians conceded the decisive goal in the 90th minute following a corner kick, making it 0-1.
With Aleksandar Vukotić (2.01m) and Patric Pfeiffer (1.96m), the Lilies‘ defence boasts two true defensive giants – and thus a strong physical presence. But height isn’t just an asset in defence: SV Darmstadt 98 also posed a threat from attacking set pieces in their first match of the season against VfL Bochum, proving efficient. The South Hesse side scored two goals from corners: Vukotić won the opening goal with his power in a header, setting up the goal. He was then on hand for the second set piece, heading the ball directly into the net.
Last season, former DFB striker Miroslav Klose’s team boasted the fourth-best attack in the 2. Bundesliga with 60 goals. Following the departure of their top scorer, Stefanos Tzimas (12 goals), who returned to Brighton after his loan spell ended, Nürnberg now needs other goal-scoring players. With the signings of Semir Telalović, Mickaël Biron, Artem Stepanov, and Noah Maboulou, the Franconians have brought promising attacking talents on board – players who have the potential to breathe new life into the attack. Under a coach like Miroslav Klose, who was once the epitome of coolness in front of goal, the conditions should be ideal.
145 days – that’s how long 1. FC Nürnberg has now waited for a home victory. The Lilies, too, haven’t celebrated an away win since their 2-1 victory at Hannover 96 at the end of November last year. The conditions are perfect for a hard-fought clash between two highly motivated teams who are desperate to emerge victorious on Friday. A look at SV Darmstadt 98’s statistics is encouraging: The Club has only managed to win twice in their last ten home games against the Lilies.
1. FC Nürnberg currently has three players in its squad who have previously worn the Lilies jersey: Christian Mathenia guarded the goal for SV Darmstadt 98 from 2014 to 2016. During this time, he made 34 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga and played a part in the team’s promotion to the Bundesliga. He also played 33 times between the posts for the Lilies in the following first-division season before moving to Hamburger SV. Julian Justvan was on loan to SVD from TSG Hoffenheim in the second half of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. In 14 appearances, the attacker scored two goals and provided two assists. Benjamin Goller wore the Lilies jersey in the first half of the 2021/22 season. The winger joined the club on loan from SV Werder Bremen and contributed two goals and one assist in his twelve appearances.
On the Lilies‘ side, there is one player who knows the traditional Franconian club very well: Fabian Nürnberger began his career in 2018 with 1. FC Nürnberg’s reserve team before becoming a permanent fixture in the first team in 2019. Until his move to SV Darmstadt 98 in 2023, the versatile defender played a total of 108 competitive matches for the club, scoring nine goals and providing six assists.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | |
| Home | 19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 33:29 |
| Away | 18 | 3 | 7 | 8 | 24:35 |
| Overall | 37 | 11 | 11 | 15 | 57:64 |
Saturday evening at the Böllenfalltor, the seventh edition! This time, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg at the Merck Stadium. Both teams are strong offensively and convincing defensively. But where do the differences lie? And in which statistics do both the team from southern Hesse and the Saarlanders lead the pack? We've compiled all the facts and figures for this match right here for you.
The news that Fabian Holland will no longer play for Darmstadt at the end of this season affected everyone at the club. We take a look at it. Also exciting this week: The U17s host Eintracht Frankfurt's youth team in Pfungstadt today, Wednesday (April 22nd/5pm) for the Hessian derby in the Hesse Cup; the Darmstadt first team will wear members' jerseys against SV Elversberg next Saturday (April 25th/8:30pm); and the Darmstadt VIP box has been temporarily converted into a yoga camp. "Darmstadt Across the Board" on Wednesday is available here.
The end of an era. Fabian Holland's twelfth season in the Lilies' jersey will be his last with SV 98. The 35-year-old's contract, which expires at the end of the season, will not be renewed. The club informed Holland of this decision in a confidential meeting. Both club and player agree to focus entirely on achieving the best possible end to the season until the final match and that any plans for a farewell celebration will depend on how the rest of the season unfolds.
Extremely bitter. The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team unfortunately came away empty-handed last Saturday (April 18th) visiting KSV Baunatal: The young Lilies conceded the decisive goal late in stoppage time, resulting in a 1-0 final score. Darmstadt had managed to hold their own against the fourth-placed team in the Hessenliga for almost the entire match. "A very bitter defeat after a really good performance," explained U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt to sv98.de.
Attention is already turning to the away match against SC Preußen Münster. On matchday 33, SV Darmstadt 98 will visit the Preußenstadion on Sunday (May 10th, 1:30pm). Advance ticket sales for club members begin next Wednesday (April 22nd) at 12:00pm. All ticket information can be found in this announcement.
Our premium partner ENTEGA is once again providing unique stadium experiences this season. For every home game, you can win two VIP fan seats in the main stand and also gain access to the ENTEGA VIP lounge. The application deadline for the match against Elversberg is Thursday (April 23rd) at 12 noon.
Returning to southern Hesse empty-handed, SV Darmstadt 98 suffered a 3-2 away defeat against Greuther Fürth. Particularly bitter: the Lilies twice took the lead in Franconia but ultimately succumbed. How do the two head coaches assess the 90 minutes? What do captain Marcel Schuhen and Kai Klefisch have to say about the loss? We've compiled all the post-match reactions for you.
No points in Franconia. After conceding two late goals, Darmstadt 98 lost 3-2 (1-1) to SpVgg Greuther Fürth.
Away game in Franconia. On matchday 30 (April 19th/1:30pm), Darmstadt 98 will visit SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven compared to last week. Isac Lidberg and Kai Klefisch return to the team after serving their suspensions, and Marco Richter also moves into the starting lineup. Matthias Bader will miss the match with a minor shoulder problem.
Darmstadt 98 travel to Greuther Fürth for Matchday 30. On Sunday (April 19th, 1:30pm), Greuther Fürth will host SV Darmstadt 98 at the Sportpark Ronhof. You can find the opinions of both coaches, the refereeing team, and the TV broadcast details for Sunday midday here. As usual, we've summarised all the important information about the match against Greuther Fürth in our "Matchday Guide" overview.
How does Florian Kohfeldt view his team's away record ahead of Sunday's match against SpVgg Greuther Fürth? How does he assess the Cloverleaf's defence, and what is the mood within the team? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday before the game in Fürth (April 19th, 1:30pm). We have summarised the most important statements from our head coach's press conference for you.
