Ahead of the DFB Cup round of 16, Florian Kohfeldt discusses what's crucial against Freiburg, the away support, and his enthusiasm for the competition. On Wednesday (December 3rd, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit SC Freiburg. We've summarised the most important information from the pre-match press conference for you.
Personnel update: Fraser Hornby is out with a thigh muscle injury.
We can be fairly certain that Fraser won’t play for us this week. However, we’re hopeful he’ll be able to play again before Christmas. Unfortunately, it’s the time of year for these kinds of injuries, and so far we haven’t been significantly affected.
Fraser is one of our key players, and he’s also very important for our defensive setup. Nevertheless, I’m convinced that we have someone in Killian Corredor who can fill his role. With Marco Richter, Yosuke Furukawa, and Luca Marseiler, we also have more than enough alternatives in the number 10 position. Therefore, things aren’t falling apart for us. It’s also clear, though, that a player like Fraser, both in terms of his footballing ability and his personality, isn’t easy to replace. Despite that, we’re determined to manage it and are therefore traveling to Freiburg with optimism.
I think it’s fantastic that so many fans are here. I already found the away support in Elversberg, in a very atmospheric stadium, to be outstanding. We’ll need that support again tomorrow evening.
We need to play a more specific style of football than in the league because their individual quality is much higher than any second-division team. We’re talking about a top-eight Bundesliga side, a team that’s also very consistent internationally. They finished fourth in the Europa League and have a strong cup history in recent years. Therefore, we need to be courageous and take our chances at the right moments. We have a parallel with our away game in Bremen last season’s cup, where we almost pulled it off. And we’re more settled now than we were a year ago. So we definitely fancy our chances and want to do everything we can to advance. But of course, we’re not the favourites.
I wouldn’t mind continuing our winning streak against Freiburg. I know a few people in Freiburg with whom I have a history. In every conversation, I got the feeling they were really keen to continue their cup run. So, we’re facing two teams that both have only one goal. There’s no point in going into a cup match just to look good. We want to choose the best possible strategy to absolutely advance to the next round.
The preparation isn’t really any different from a league match. We do have extra time in mind as an additional factor, in terms of the squad and potential substitutions. But the tactical approach and analysis are the same.
Before the DFB Cup match against Schalke, we practiced penalty shootouts. However, we had the shortest possible interval between matches this time, so we didn’t practice penalties. We do practice regularly, though, and work on having a reliable number of penalty takers. Therefore, this wouldn’t catch us unprepared at all.
For me, the DFB Cup is the best competition in Germany because there’s no „afterwards.“ You’re either through or out, and I personally love that. The cup creates stories that don’t happen in a league match. That’s what we’re hoping for on Wednesday. We want to create a mental situation where Freiburg suddenly has something to lose and can’t just continue playing calmly. Those are exactly the kinds of stories that unfold.
For a club, it’s an incredibly great way to create memorable experiences, especially in connection with the fans. These are things that last. You don’t get that very often in a league match. It’s a wonderful competition. In competitive sports, we thrive on competition because you want to compare yourself to others. In the cup, there’s this one match, and afterward, it’s clear how the competition has ended.
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
