It'll be a tough game, but ultimately SV 98 will advance to the next round. The Lilies won a lacklustre but thoroughly deserved victory against a strong VfB Lübeck. Matej Maglica and Fraser Hornby put the South Hesse side on track with their goals in front of 1,300 away fans. We've rounded up the comments.
„The first round of the cup is always difficult, as this afternoon with the results at the other venues demonstrated. Measured against that, we delivered a performance that was not brilliant, but commanding. We didn’t concede much against a Lübeck team that played courageously, intensely, and at times with high pressure. A huge compliment to our opponents for maintaining that intensity for so long. We still had several chances to make it 3-0, but couldn’t find the net. The goal against us made things even more hectic. I didn’t like the heavy fouls on my players in the final minutes. Overall, I’d say we deserved to advance, but I also compliment them on our opponents, who gave us the cup fight we expected.“
„Congratulations to Darmstadt 98 on advancing. We played against a top second-division team. We wanted to let the opponent come forward and then quickly look for depth after winning the ball. I would have liked to have done that more effectively at times. We had intense duels against really fit second-division players. Overall, I was very pleased with our performance. In the end, I can’t fault any of my players. Everyone believed in it and fought hard. Even after going 2-0 down, we wanted to force the win, and hope resurfaced after going 2-1. Ultimately, though, it was a deserved win for Darmstadt. I pay a huge compliment to my team.“
„It was a tough game. And that’s what we expected. Because it’s always nasty to have to play against a regional league team in the first round of the DFB Cup. Today it was all about winning the game. And we won. That’s why we’re happy to have advanced to the next round. Overall, it was very intense and physical. We took our opponents completely seriously; everyone pulled together. We hardly conceded any chances from the open play. Nevertheless, it certainly wasn’t a beautiful game from our side today. We lacked the necessary precision in the final third, and our running wasn’t quite there. The goal conceded at the end shouldn’t have happened, but we still played the game maturely and won. That’s the most important thing.“
„We knew what to expect today. Nevertheless, today wasn’t our best day in terms of play. But that’s part of being a team: fighting, grit, and simply trying to win the game. In the cup, it’s all about advancing to the next round. And we did that. That’s what counts. That ’sloppy goal‘ from Matej just before halftime was very important. But we had good chances before that too. Lübeck, of course, defended with all their men. And when there are so many in the box, it’s difficult to score. Nevertheless, we created many chances and could have scored more than the two goals. Of course, the goal conceded shortly before the end was unnecessary. Up until then, we hadn’t let anything slip away. That’s why it was a deserved win overall.“
Attention Lilien fans: During SV Darmstadt 98’s training camp in Bad Wörishofen (Allgäu region)—taking place from July 19th to July 26th, 2026—there will once again be an opportunity to meet the team, chat with the players, and, of course, get autographs and photos. The fan meet-up is scheduled for Saturday, July 25th, following the friendly match against SG Sonnenhof Großaspach. Kick-off for the match is at 12pm.
SV 98 remains active in the transfer market. The "Lilies" have signed Christopher Lannert from Arminia Bielefeld.
Friendly matches, fundraising campaigns, and plenty of photos—that’s what the week looked like for SV 98 and the club’s community. Between their 5–1 victory over FC Homburg and the upcoming friendly in Walldorf this Friday (July 17), the „Lilies“ showed their best side for the cameras. In addition, the SV 98 legends team will face an Odenwald select squad on Sunday (July 19th). You can also win great prizes in competitions taking place in Erbach and at the pop-up store in downtown Darmstadt. Lilies Across the Board brings you all the latest news from life at SV 98.
The Bundesliga finalised the match schedules for matchdays three through six on Wednesday (July 15th): Darmstadt's home game against Hannover 96 on matchday three will take place on Sunday. This will be followed by their away game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday at 1pm. The home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening and the away game in Wolfsburg, also on Friday evening, have also been confirmed.
The Lilies can welcome another new arrival at the Böllenfalltor: Florian Kleinhansl will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 25-year-old joins on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern on June 30th.
Third test, third clear victory. SV 98 won the match against FC 08 Homburg 5-1 (3-0).
SV Darmstadt 98 and the fusion energy company Focused Energy are entering into an official partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to more closely link top-level football and high technology from the Darmstadt region and to jointly generate momentum for innovation and future societal issues.
Killian Corredor will be playing in his home country again in the future. SV 98 has reached an agreement with FC Nantes on the transfer of the Frenchman.
On Tuesday (July 14, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Regionalliga side FC Homburg and asks fans to take note of the following information.
A home game against KSV! SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Holstein Kiel for the opening matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season this Saturday (August 8 at 1pm). Here’s how you can be there: the member pre-sale for the new season's first home game begins this coming Wednesday (July 15) at 12pm —available online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion, as usual. You can find all further details in this announcement.
For every home goal scored by the "Lilies," SV Darmstadt 98 fans were doubly rewarded during the recent 2025/26 second-division season. Beyond the joy and excitement, supporters received 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every goal Darmstadt scored at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
In recent days, various media outlets have published reports and graphics regarding the distribution of TV revenue for the 2026/27 season. Some of these reports included not only specific figures but also a comparison to the previous season. This comparison indicates a supposed revenue increase of €1.4 million for SV 98 compared to the 2025/26 season.