The draw has taken place: SV Darmstadt 98 has known its opponent for the round of 16 since Sunday evening (November 2nd). We take a look at the draw. Also, Kai Klefisch is back on the pitch and "simply happy to be back." You can read about these and other topics in our weekly column "Lilies Across the Board."
After his injury layoff, Kai Klefisch is finally back on the pitch – and with an all-around positive feeling. The SV 98 midfielder has now played two matches. And his conclusion is clear: „My body feels great, really excellent.“ Klefisch played the full 90 minutes in the match against Bielefeld, and before that, he was on the field for 76 minutes in the cup match against Schalke. The league game against Schalke, however, came too soon. „But I think we did exactly the right thing. It was good to wait for another game. Training with the team is simply a different intensity, but I didn’t lose much during the time I was out,“ Klefisch explained contentedly.
During his time off, which saw him miss three matches, the 25-year-old worked diligently in the weight room and completed individual training sessions on the pitch. „That allowed me to pick up right where I left off,“ he says. Nevertheless, he found it difficult to watch his team’s games from the sidelines: „It’s truly one of the worst things there is. Luckily, it wasn’t an injury that sidelined me for months, but watching every game from the sidelines is torture. You want to help, you have this inner urge to contribute – but you just can’t do anything.“
Now, the relief is immense at finally being part of the action again: „I’m simply happy to be back on the pitch. When you play with the same guys for a long time, you become a well-oiled machine. Everyone knows what everyone else is doing. The coach likes to talk about so-called ‚core players‘ – and I think I’m definitely part of the team’s backbone.“
On Sunday evening (November 2nd), the draw for the round of 16 of the DFB Cup took place at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Darmstadt were drawn to play away against Bundesliga club and Europa League participant SC Freiburg. For Darmstadt, this means a big cup night awaits – and at the same time, a real challenge. Freiburg are clear favourites, but the Darmstadt team travels with the conviction and ambition to advance to the next round. „The cup has shown time and again that surprises are always possible,“ emphasised Paul Fernie after the draw. The sporting director of SV 98 continued: „Logically, we are the underdog away against the Europa League participant, but we will still go there and invest everything to advance to the next round.“
The SV Darmstadt 98 eFootball team has been competing in the Virtual Bundesliga for about two weeks now. However, things haven’t quite clicked for the eLilies on the console yet. The team from southern Hesse had to wait until the seventh matchday to secure their first win of the season. In two matches, Darmstadt prevailed against Greuther Fürth with an aggregate score of 10-7. Previously, SV 98 had lost to Heidenheim, Düsseldorf, Elversberg, and St. Pauli. They drew against Eintracht Braunschweig. This leaves the eLilies currently in 28th place in the overall standings, which comprise a total of 30 teams. SV 98 has a bye this week and will resume play on November 13th (6pm) against Bayer Leverkusen.
4-1 victory! On Sunday (November 2nd), the second team hosted TSV Braunshardt at home and displayed impressive form. The team took control of the game early on: playing with high tempo and clear focus, the Lilies created several chances. The home team’s attacking play was rewarded on several occasions – by halftime, they had built a commanding 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Marius Wetter (16th minute) and Massimiliano Viola (33rd minute).
After the restart, the momentum continued: the team showed no signs of letting up and even increased the tempo. The hosts quickly extended their lead with two further goals in the 68th and 74th minutes from Julian Schreiber and Felix Bärenz, respectively. The visitors managed to score a consolation goal in the 86th minute, but the home team comfortably saw out the victory and secured the win.
With this victory, the Lilies move into 12th place in the Kreisliga B. On Sunday (November 9th), the SVD fan team aims to replicate their performance from the last match. Kick-off against SV Erzhausen II is at 12:30pm.
This coming weekend, SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team will play at home against FC Eddersheim. Kick-off is at 2:30pm on Saturday (November 8th). With a focused performance, team spirit, and the typical Darmstadt commitment, they aim to turn things around after seven winless games.
Dear Killian, SV Darmstadt 98 sends you belated best wishes for your 25th birthday! May your new year bring you much success on the pitch and good health. Last Tuesday (November 4th), the French attacking player for the Lilies celebrated his milestone birthday. Happy birthday!
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.
