The head coach of SV Darmstadt 98 was available to the journalists present on Wednesday (October 2nd) at the press conference before the Lilies' away game at Karlsruher SC (October 4th/6:30pm). Florian Kohfeldt spoke about the upcoming encounter, looked at the opponent as well as his own game idea and the work that still lies ahead of the Lilies. We have summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Holland, Paul Will and Matthias Bader are missing due to long-term injuries. Christoph Zimmermann is also out. Oscar Vilhelmsson took part in part of the team training on Wednesday (October 2nd) and will also take part in the entire training session on Thursday (October 3rd). However, it is still unclear whether he can be an option for the squad again after a month-long injury break.
Karlsruher SC is coming out of a phase of great stability in recent years. You now want to take the next step. They show that a lot is possible thanks to coordination and stability – Darmstadt 98 also showed the same in the years before promotion to the Bundesliga. There’s a lot going on at KSC. Above all, they do the simple things right. Karlsruhe has good defensive spacing. They know when they want to attack or when they want to fall. In addition, the KSC has extremely high quality in the squad. With Wanitzek they have a player in their ranks who is one of the top 5, if not top 3 players in the league.
We will have our chances against Karlsruhe. But it won’t be a game in which one team dominates the other for 90 minutes. I’m expecting a fast-paced duel between both teams, which I’m really looking forward to. It will be crucial that we use our moments to get the game on our side. We have to continue on the path to performance that I see for us. But we would like to lower our goals conceded average. We also have to continue on our offensive path: we didn’t have many chances to score against Braunschweig. We had a lot of chances against Schalke, but we didn’t have any compelling opportunities in the first half. Now against Magdeburg we had some great chances, but unfortunately we only scored one goal.
In contrast to the KSC, we are in a phase of complete change. We are currently still looking for our stability, although this has become more apparent in the last three games. The very first step is to stabilise ourselves. I think that after our discovery phase – after relegation, a transfer phase with a lot of player changes, long-term injuries and the unforeseen change of coach – we will say something about our goals for the season in the next few weeks. The table situation is not nice. Nevertheless, we are currently only approaching the 8th matchday. Of course points would help us. Ultimately, we don’t have enough of it overall.
We wanted to press Magdeburg high and run them high. We did this in 15 to 20 minutes. But we didn’t want to be frustrated if the pressing failed. And that’s exactly where we’re having a hard time right now. We have to be able to endure these phases in the game. The team has the desire and the conviction to take the path of active defense. But it will still take a moment to maintain that over 60, 70, 80 minutes. Overall, the team has a belief in the way we play football. You notice a positive energy. The approach to games is characterised by the conviction that you can win them. But when we get into the phases mentioned, our stability is not yet high enough to endure and get through them. You can see a development, but it is not yet complete.
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.
