The Lilies lost 3-1 at SC Paderborn in their first away game of the 2024/25 second division season. The 98ers came into the game extremely strong and took the lead they deserved through Oscar Vilhelmsson. But Paderborn's ever-growing team turned the duel in East Westphalia around thanks to three goals in the second half of the game. Accordingly, the Darmstadt protagonists appeared disappointed at the microphones after the final whistle. We have summarised all the voices about the game for you.
“Congratulations to SC Paderborn on their win. You could see that both teams were well prepared. We wanted to stress the opponent early on without putting ourselves in danger. We succeeded. If you look at all three goals conceded after the break, we could have defended all three of them with the necessary consistency. But we reacted well after the goals. After the 1:1 we have to take the lead 2:1 through Fynn Lakenmacher. Even after Paderborn’s goal to go ahead, we still have a chance to equalise. But with 1:3 the game was gone. Overall we had good scenes in both halves. Improvements were also seen in the game compared to the previous week. However, we lost twice and that’s bad.”
“The bottom line is that we deserved to win. We were one goal better over 90 minutes. But we initially conceded the 0-1 result a bit out of nowhere because both teams were good at working against the ball. But at 0-1 we simply made the wrong decision to play for offside. After that it was difficult because Darmstadt had a lot of physical force. We had problems winning the ball. So we had to stay patient. We did that and gradually got the better of our opponents because we kept our foot on the accelerator and went into the break feeling good despite being behind. With the goals to make it 1-1 and 2-1, the momentum tipped in our direction. But we could have conceded a goal against Darmstadt at any time. We had a bit of luck and a good goalkeeper.”
“We had big plans after the opening defeat and started with brutal energy. That’s how we got into the game well, had 20 or 30 really good minutes with a lot of power and force and deservedly took the lead. Towards the middle and end of the first half, Paderborn got stronger, but we were able to defend it well. Even after the 1-1 score, we had a good chance of taking the lead again – also thanks to my header, which I could have pushed better against the direction of the goalkeeper. After that, the Paderborn team created a lot of chances and deserved the win. Nobody wants to start the season with two defeats. We are a newly formed group and still need to grow together. Nevertheless, we saw a lot of good approaches today.”
“We started the game well. We tried to press high and force Paderborn to make mistakes. We managed that well at the beginning. Unfortunately we couldn’t keep it up for the whole game. We were always able to place needle pricks. But then we let Paderborn get back into the game and no longer had the necessary pressure. In the second half we didn’t come out as well as we started the game. The balls from outside to inside broke our necks because we didn’t have a good allocation in the middle. Nevertheless – like last week against Düsseldorf – it wasn’t a bad game for us. And yet after two games we are left with zero points. This is very bitter. But we still have 32 games left in which we can get points.”
The second consecutive away game, and the last of the season, is upon us. Once again on a Sunday (May 10th, 1:30pm), Darmstadt will be playing away – this time against SC Preußen Münster. Everything you need to know for your final away trip of the season to the LVM-Preußenstadion, about three and a half hours away, can be found here in the usual fan information section.
There's a lot going on at the Bölle. The 98th Darmstadt baby of 2026, along with their family, visited the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, and they weren't the only ones. Where else the Bölle gang has ended up, and many more news items about the club, can be found here in our "Lilies Across the Board" section, as every Wednesday.
SV Darmstadt 98 informed all season ticket holders about the season ticket procedure for the 2026/27 season on Wednesday (May 6th) and would also like to share this letter on the club's own website.
Autographs, photos, and personal encounters with the Lilies: You'll have the opportunity to do so on Thursday (May 7th) from 5pm to 6pm. As part of an autograph session presented by Merck, Patric Pfeiffer, Kai Klefisch, and Fynn Lakenmacher will be at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. You'll also receive a ten percent discount in the fan shop during this time.
Darmstadt's 2-1 defeat at Karlsruher SC also ended any remaining theoretical hopes the South Hessian club had of finishing the season in the top three. The loss at the Wildpark stadium served somewhat as a symbol for the past few weeks, during which SV 98 had only managed one point from five matches since the international break in March. Following the game on Sunday afternoon, the Darmstadt players addressed the assembled media representatives with mixed feelings.
Three points! SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team secured a victory in the Lotto Hessenliga on Saturday afternoon (May 2nd). In their match against Hünfelder SV, the young Lilies overcame an early deficit to clinch a convincing 3-1 win. This result puts the U21 team currently outside the relegation zone. "Our trend is clearly upward," said a delighted U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt.
The successful collaboration between the Hessian Disabled and Rehabilitation Sports Association (HBRS) and SV Darmstadt 98 will continue long-term: Both partners have extended their existing agreement to promote inclusive sports indefinitely. This sends a clear signal for the sustainable development of inclusion and disability sports in Hesse.
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.