How does Florian Kohfeldt view the current week? How does one even train between so many matches in just a few days? And what kind of opponent will Darmstadt face? Ahead of Saturday evening's home game (November 1st/8:30pm) against Arminia Bielefeld, the head coach of SV 98 answered these and other questions. We've summarised the most important statements for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Nürnberger and Alexander Brunst will miss the match against Bielefeld. All other players are available.
We showed on Wednesday that we’re capable of playing very decent football and putting in a very solid performance. That’s the foundation for results. For us, the match against Arminia Bielefeld is the third highlight game in a row. First, away at Schalke, then the cup match, apart from the medical emergency, was the magical evening we’d all hoped for. And now comes the next highlight against Arminia Bielefeld: Saturday evening, 8:30pm, Bölle. Arminia is an incredibly strong newly promoted team that wrote an incredible cup story last season and has made a good start to the new campaign. It’s going to be a tough match for us on Saturday evening. The Schalke game on Wednesday helped us find our form again to some extent. We didn’t get into our stride after the international break. But that evening gave us confidence and also more options in terms of personnel. Some players put in a good performance and took their chance. That’s a good situation for us, especially during a midweek fixture.
Bielefeld is a very intense team, defined largely by its intensity. They are the most energetic team in the league and consistently rank highly in all relevant and meaningful running statistics. The extra 30 minutes they played in the cup aren’t crucial given their current fitness level. Arminia played a top-class match against Union Berlin. They battled for a long time away against the Bundesliga side, fighting for their place in the next round of the cup. Emotionally, losing in extra time was certainly a blow. They’ll be fired up, which can be a good thing in a match. We are therefore very wary.
There’s hardly any traditional training this week. On Wednesday evening, everyone actively recovered together, which is crucial. The focus is clearly on recovery and video sessions. For me, video sessions are also a form of training and, especially in a week like this, a very important element in preparing for the Bielefeld match. Today, Friday, we’ll be exercising, and on Saturday evening before the game, we’ll have a short light workout. For the players, a week with so many games is probably the best thing there is: play, recover, play.
I’m not worried about Patric Pfeiffer at all. With Isac Lidberg, we’ll have to see if he can play longer than he did on Wednesday. He was incredibly intense in the first half. He’s recovered well and is generally feeling good. I can’t say yet how long he’ll be able to play on Saturday. The plan was for Kai Klefisch to play 60 minutes against Schalke. In the end, it was 70 minutes because the game was very hectic during that period. He’s a clear candidate for the starting eleven on Saturday.
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.
