Our head coach spoke about the important "four-field" (the area between the stands and the goal) and his belief in the team's development ahead of tomorrow's away game at the Betzenberg stadium. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Kaiserslautern (September 5th, 1pm) here.
Player update: In addition to the three long-term injured players Luca Marseiler, Fabian Nürnberger and Merveille Papela, Aleksander Vukotic (suspension) and Fynn Lakenmacher (adductor problems) will not be available next Saturday.
It’s a great away game against a very strong team, and of course, we want to take points from the Betzenberg tomorrow if at all possible. It’s a tough task against a team that plays very man-oriented football, that tries to bring extreme emotions into the game, especially at home – through challenges, through gestures – and does this very well to exploit the stadium and the home advantage. That’s perfectly legitimate. Kaiserslautern usually tries to put a lot of pressure on the opponent very early in the game, defends, as already mentioned, very man-oriented from back to front, and always finds ways to get into man-marking mode. With the ball, they play very quickly to the last line of defense, either with long balls or from the wings. Then, of course, they have a lot of individual quality with many players who can be game-changers in this league.
Willy is making a very good impression. He’s been training with the team, participating in all the training sessions this week, and hasn’t shown any signs of weakness. He’ll also be joining the final training session. Then I’ll decide with him what makes sense, whether he’ll travel with us to Kaiserslautern. He’s certainly not someone who could play 80 or 90 minutes, but perhaps a candidate for a short appearance. We need to discuss that right after the final training session. But he’s already shown what qualities he brings: dynamism, runs in behind, crosses, and excellent physical condition. His tackling was superb. And I’m very happy he’s here.
Before the season, we said: With Paddy, Vuko, Kai, and Hiro, we have four players who are pretty reliable and should provide us with stability. And now, in almost every game, we’ve had issues with these guys. Hiro was sick, Kai was suspended, and now Vuko is suspended. And to be perfectly honest, I’m really longing for that solid foundation to be there week after week. Which was entirely to be expected after the last few years, because none of them were injury-prone, and if they were suspended at all, it was usually late in the season.
Therefore, I’m really looking forward to Kai being available again against Kaiserslautern and hope that we can get this „four-man quartet“ on the pitch together as often as possible, because it guarantees us a certain level of stability.
Our focus is on identifying factors we can influence. And as I mentioned last week, we’re in the midst of a process we’ve planned for ourselves. Fundamentally, regarding performance, teamwork, and mentality—how the lads interact and how they perform on the pitch—we’re not only on a very good path, but we’re further along than I expected at this point. One thing is clear: the group is now in place. This is the group we’ve assembled, and we believe in it. We won’t let ourselves be influenced by issues we ultimately can’t control. What we can influence is how we train and how we plan to try and win a game next weekend. And as I said at the very beginning: this belief is immense.
On matchday 10 of the 2. Bundesliga, SV 98 hosts 1. FC Magdeburg. Florian Kohfeldt makes five changes to his team after the cup match in Elversberg. William Mikelbrencis, Noah Weißhaupt, Marco Richter, Hiroki Akiyama and Fynn Lakenmacher start in place of Christopher Lannert, Florian Kleinhansl, Lance Duijvestijn, Nicolas Verkooijen and Hojae Lee.
After advancing in the DFB Cup, it's back to league action: Darmstadt 98 host 1. FC Magdeburg at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor this Saturday (1pm). What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will referee the match and where can you watch the league game live? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the clash with Magdeburg in our "Matchday Guide" format.
After advancing in the DFB Cup, SV 98's focus shifts back to league play. Tomorrow, Saturday (October 31st, 1pm), the Lilies host 1. FC Magdeburg at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ahead of the match, our head coach spoke about the team's sporting approach, the opponent's strengths, and the importance of passion, fighting spirit, and consistency throughout the entire season.
Blue and white flags, homemade sashes, and boundless passion for their club: 1. FC Magdeburg's fans support their team with great enthusiasm. In the late 1970s, the first supporters formed fan clubs and actively participated in club life. On Saturday (October 31st), SV Darmstadt 98 will host Magdeburg at 1 p.m. A perfect opportunity to take a look at the development and unique aspects of Magdeburg's fan culture.
On the occasion of Matchday 10, Darmstadt 98 host 1. FC Magdeburg at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor. While Darmstadt 98 are known for collecting points in front of their home crowd, the visitors impress with their attacking prowess and dangerous counter-attacks. Find out which statistics are particularly interesting ahead of the match and what distinguishes both teams in our Facts & Figures section.
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 1. FC Magdeburg is Thursday (October 29th) at 6pm.
On Saturday (31.10.2026/1pm), SV 98 asks you to take note of the following information for the upcoming home game.
The main and jersey partnership between SV Darmstadt 98 and HAIX will end as contractually agreed on June 30th, 2027 and will not be continued beyond that date.
Florian Kleinhansl couldn't help but chuckle when asked about the statistics from the previous cup match after the game. "For us, only one statistic mattered today. And we won that one," said the 26-year-old after SV 98's surprising 2-0 victory against the eighth-placed Bundesliga team. It was a coup that demanded a lot from the Lilies. The hosts recorded 18 corners, 26 shots on goal, and 74 percent possession. And yet, in the end, an away win for the team from southern Hesse was displayed on the scoreboard in Saarland.
Fight, dedication, efficiency, an outstanding Marcel Schuhen, and also the necessary dose of luck. These were the ingredients for Darmstadt's cup upset against SV Elversberg. The players were overjoyed afterward, having fought their way to the next round against the favoured Bundesliga side.
With tremendous dedication, Darmstadt secured their place in the next round! The Lilies rewarded themselves for a tremendous fight and incredible defensive work by advancing to the round of 16. The final score was 2-0 (1-0) against SV Elversberg after 90 intense minutes in which the South Hessians suffered but fought tooth and nail against Elversberg's relentless onslaught. Kehl and Smit sealed the victory for Darmstadt's efficient performance.
In the second round of the DFB Cup, Darmstadt 98 will travel to face SV Elversberg. Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Christopher Lannert, Florian Kleinhansl, Nicolas Verkooijen, Lance Duijvestijn, and Hojae Lee will start in place of William Mikelbrencis, Noah Weißhaupt, Hiroki Akiyama, Marco Richter, and Fynn Lakenmacher. Richter is unavailable due to a minor thigh injury.