The match was billed as a top game, and Darmstadt lived up to the billing from the outset. Two early goals put SV 98 on the right track, and the team from southern Hesse had already established a three-goal lead before halftime. With this comfortable advantage, they didn't let up in the second half, and Luca Marseiler capped off their performance with a fourth goal shortly before the final whistle. What did the key players have to say about the 90 minutes at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor? We've compiled all the post-match reactions.
„We were tense before the game. The early goal obviously helped us. The 2-0 came at just the right time. And in the second half, we played extremely maturely and consistently. The last few weeks haven’t been easy for us. That was a very convincing performance from my team today. Regarding Kaiserslautern: When you have an injury like Prtajin’s, it does affect a team, you have to be honest about that. Overall, though, it was a deserved victory against a very good team. From now on, we’re focusing on Braunschweig.“
„Congratulations to Darmstadt on their well-deserved victory. Darmstadt 98 were superior to us in every aspect today. If we start a game like that, we’re quickly on the losing end. None of us implemented anything we had discussed before the match. We showed absolutely nothing of what it would have taken to win here in Darmstadt. And we showed absolutely nothing of what makes FCK special. We played against a team that truly functions as a unit and also plays good football. Everything clicked for them.“
„Things went brilliantly today. We won 4-0, executed our plan perfectly, and, most importantly, played a fantastic first half. I found out last night that I’d be starting today. Of course, I was a little nervous before this top-of-the-table clash against Kaiserslautern. But overall, I was more excited. Playing longer and scoring a goal right away was an amazing feeling, and the goal was a real confidence booster. Even better, though, is that I was able to contribute to our victory with that goal. For my goal, I received a great cross from Fraser, was well-positioned, and got my foot to it. The interplay with him worked really well. We knew that Kaiserslautern defends very aggressively and that we’d be in a lot of one-on-one situations. I tried to act as a target man and open up space for Fraser. That worked out quite well.“
„That was a fantastic game from start to finish. We achieved exactly what we wanted: a win, and we played some attractive football to boot. We’re still unbeaten at home – it couldn’t be better. The plan was to show that we’re a force to be reckoned with at home. We’re simply functioning well as a team in every aspect. The best proof of that is how we compensated for Isac’s absence. A huge shout-out to Fynn, who had an outstanding game. Today was an exceptional team performance overall. Being top of the table is a wonderful snapshot in time. It gives us a lot of confidence. But what’s important is how we approach the next few games. The atmosphere today was incredible. The fans are always behind us. It was a perfect day for Darmstadt.“
Regarding his goal:
I was pretty free and showed good instinct (laughs). I was in the right place and I’m very happy that it worked out offensively.
The Bundesliga finalised the match schedules for matchdays three through six on Wednesday (July 15th): Darmstadt's home game against Hannover 96 on matchday three will take place on Sunday. This will be followed by their away game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday at 1pm. The home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening and the away game in Wolfsburg, also on Friday evening, have also been confirmed.
The Lilies can welcome another new arrival at the Böllenfalltor: Florian Kleinhansl will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 25-year-old joins on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern on June 30th.
Third test, third clear victory. SV 98 won the match against FC 08 Homburg 5-1 (3-0).
SV Darmstadt 98 and the fusion energy company Focused Energy are entering into an official partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to more closely link top-level football and high technology from the Darmstadt region and to jointly generate momentum for innovation and future societal issues.
Killian Corredor will be playing in his home country again in the future. SV 98 has reached an agreement with FC Nantes on the transfer of the Frenchman.
On Tuesday (July 14, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Regionalliga side FC Homburg and asks fans to take note of the following information.
A home game against KSV! SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Holstein Kiel for the opening matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season this Saturday (August 8 at 1pm). Here’s how you can be there: the member pre-sale for the new season's first home game begins this coming Wednesday (July 15) at 12pm —available online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion, as usual. You can find all further details in this announcement.
For every home goal scored by the "Lilies," SV Darmstadt 98 fans were doubly rewarded during the recent 2025/26 second-division season. Beyond the joy and excitement, supporters received 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every goal Darmstadt scored at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
In recent days, various media outlets have published reports and graphics regarding the distribution of TV revenue for the 2026/27 season. Some of these reports included not only specific figures but also a comparison to the previous season. This comparison indicates a supposed revenue increase of €1.4 million for SV 98 compared to the 2025/26 season.
SV Darmstadt 98 successfully completed their second pre-season friendly, defeating Verbandsliga side VfR Fehlheim 8-0 (4-0).
