Foto: DFL/Getty Images/Lukas Schulze 31.03.2024 / English
Matchday compact: All information about the Bochum game
There are 273 kilometers between the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor and the Venovia Ruhrstadion in Bochum. That's exactly where the lilies are traveling to ring in the crucial weeks of this Bundesliga season on Easter Sunday (7.30pm). However, before the ball rolls in the Ruhr area, we will provide you with all the information about the duel between SV Darmstadt 98 and VfL Bochum.
The game day quote
We want to return from Bochum with points – ideally with three. That's what we strive for. The game in Bochum is a starting game in the crunch time of this season. And we want to do this as well as possible.
The venue
VfL Bochum plays a home game against Schalke in Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion? In the spring of 1976 the unthinkable happened. After promotion to the top German league in 1971, the old “Stadium on Castroper Straße” was no longer up to the demands of professional football. A new venue was needed. And so, over four construction phases, the old arena slowly transformed into the Ruhr Stadium we know today. The fans saw construction site football for three seasons until the stadium was completely unplayable in the spring of 1976 when the south stand was being built. Bochum moved to the “Stadion am Schloss Strünkede” in Herne for its home games. For reasons of space, the game against Schalke was moved to its Ruhr area neighbor in Dortmund. The game brought in more spectators (45,000), but with a 4-1 defeat, nothing countable.
In 1979 the new stadium was finally inaugurated. With free admission, 30,000 spectators saw a 3-0 win against Wattenscheid 09. What began in 1911 with a wooden fence pitch and 500 supporters is now the Vonovia Ruhrstadion with a capacity of 26,000 spectators. VfL has been playing on Castroper Straße for almost a century and regularly turns the home venue into a fortress together with its fans. This is also proven by the current season, in which they have only lost three times at home despite fears of relegation. A few weeks ago even the great FC Bayern Munich had to leave the Ruhrstadion without a point.
Foto: DFL/Getty Images/Lukas Schulze 
Foto: DFL/Getty Images/Lukas Schulze 
Foto: DFL/Getty Images/Lukas Schulze 
Foto: DFL/Getty Images/Lukas Schulze 
Foto: DFL/Getty Images/Lukas Schulze The opponent's opinion
Thomas Letsch, the head coach of VfL Bochum, at the press conference before the game: „The route is clear, also for the opponent. If Darmstadt wants to have another chance, they have to win this game. But we also definitely want to win the game. „It’s going to be an exciting game. After an international break, it’s never easy to know how a team will approach a game. We’re six points clear of the relegation place and have a home game against the 18th-placed team in the table. That’s how we’ll approach the game.“
The officials
- Referee: Sven Jablonski
- Assistants: Sascha Thielert and Lasse Koslowski
- Fourth official: Patrick Ittrich
- VAR: Günter Perl and Christian Fischer
The Weather
Cloudy skies with a high of 11 degrees Celsius on Easter Sunday. The chance of precipitation in Bochum is 35 percent.
Who will show Bochum vs Darmstadt live on TV?
You can watch the Lilies‘ away game against VfL Bochum live on DAZN in Germany. The streaming service starts broadcasting at 7 p.m., kick-off is at 7:30 p.m. The commentator for the 90 minutes is Jan Platte, and the former Lilien professional and current Waldhof Mannheim player Terrence Boyd acts as an expert. The moderator is Tobi Wahnschaffe.
The game is also shown live in the UK on Sky Sports.
Software AG Matchcenter
Match day! And so back into matchday mode. You can of course follow the duel between the Lilies and VfL Bochum again on Easter Sunday in the Software AG Matchcenter on our homepage. Just click on the orange button! There we provide you with lots of live data about the game. You can also be there live with our live ticker.
All fans of the Lilies can follow the duel in full length via our live ticker as well as on the fan radio. Current pictures and highlights from the game are also available on Facebook and Twitter. You can get even more live photos on Instagram.
Facts & Stats: The top facts about the Dresden game
Darmstadt 98 aim to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games in Friday evening's match against Dynamo Dresden. While Darmstadt's potent attack has resulted in a respectable goal tally, they are wary at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. The Saxons have been on an upward trend since the winter break and will have a vociferous home crowd behind them. We've compiled all the facts and figures surrounding this clash in this report. Here you'll find the key facts for tomorrow's match.
Fan Information for the Dresden Game
Darmstadt and Dresden are 598 kilometres apart. On Friday evening (February 27th, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the Saxon capital for the 24th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The next away game will take place under the floodlights at the historic Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. You can find all relevant fan information here.
„Pure football romance“
Before SV Darmstadt 98 plays under floodlights in Dresden on Friday evening (27.02/18.30), Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference about the strengths of Dynamo Dresden and the special atmosphere in the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.
“Now I’m happy in Darmstadt!” | Lilies launch their 5th tree planting campaign
Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
Opposition Check: SG Dynamo Dresden
Numerous Dynamo Dresden fans flock to the stadium on home match days. But one day, they came for a single reason: What should their stadium be called in the future? Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, ready to cast their votes. In cooperation with regional partners, Dynamo Dresden's management took the unusual step of letting the club's supporters decide for themselves.
5th Tree Planting Campaign: Register now!
WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we will once again plant more than 3,500 trees on Sunday (March 15th) – under the banner of the Lily. You can still register for the event at short notice.
U21: With renewed energy into the rest of the season
On Friday (February 27th, 7:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team begins the second phase of their Hessenliga season. With 23 points after 20 matchdays, the Lilies are currently in 14th place. Following intensive weeks of winter training, the team aims to start the upcoming challenges with renewed energy and secure crucial points.
Analysis of the home victory: The resistance fighters from Bölle
A fast-paced, thrilling exchange between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf reached its ecstatic climax in the 88th minute. Thanks to Matej Maglica's header, Darmstadt secured a 2-1 victory in a wild battle that resembled a 12-round boxing match, with both sides neglecting their defences and constantly searching for the next hook or punch. A day later, sv98.de looks back on what was probably the most exciting home game of the season so far for the South Hessian side.
Krombacher Böllenfalltor GOAL bonus
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
„We held onto the belief in victory until the very end.“
In an intense 90 minutes between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf, the Lilies fought back to secure three points shortly before the final whistle. The early lead taken by the team from southern Hesse was quickly erased by the Rhinelanders. The match became increasingly wild and physical. The second half remained evenly contested, but in the end, SV 98 once again demonstrated their fighting spirit: Matej Maglica's late header sealed the three points. What do the players and the two head coaches have to say about this thrilling encounter? We've compiled all the post-match reactions.
Home win! Impressive winning streak continues at Bölle
SV Darmstadt 98 remain a force to be reckoned with at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor! The Lilies defeated Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 (1-1) on matchday 23. It's their sixth consecutive home win, bringing their total to 45 points. Hornby opened the scoring for the home side after just seven minutes, before Maglica (88th minute) netted the decisive goal in the second half.
Team News: Hornby and Lidberg Start
Darmstadt host Fortuna Düsseldorf! Florian Kohfeldt has made four changes to his starting lineup. Fraser Hornby (returning from illness) and Isac Lidberg (recovering from a thigh injury) return to the starting eleven, replacing Luca Marseiler and Merveille Papela. Niklas Schmidt starts in place of Hiroki Akiyama, and Fabian Holland replaces Fabian Nürnberger, who is unavailable due to a minor thigh injury.