Final rehearsal against Portsmouth FC
Darmstadt 98 will play their final pre-season friendly against English Championship side Portsmouth FC. The match will take place on August 1st at 2pm at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
02.04.2026 / English
Numbers & Facts: The top facts about the Bielefeld game
While Bielefeld are looking to improve their record to secure safety at the end of the season, SV Darmstadt 98 are eager to finally pick up three points away from home. In Saturday's match (April 4th, 1pm) between Arminia Bielefeld and Darmstadt, the 15th-placed team hosts the fourth-placed side. You can read about the areas where the two teams are closely matched, as well as all the key facts and figures, in the Top Facts section below.
Bielefeld's dry spell
Since their 2-0 away win in Magdeburg, Bielefeld has now gone five matches without another victory. During this period, Bielefeld has recorded the worst record of all Bundesliga teams, managing only one point. As a result, they have slipped from tenth place to fifteenth, finding themselves level on points with Holstein Kiel, who occupy the relegation playoff spot, in the tight relegation zone. However, head coach Mitch Kniat’s team has also had a tough run of fixtures. Their recent opponents were Hannover, Schalke, Paderborn, and Elversberg – all teams currently in the top five.
Challenged in a foreign land
Darmstadt, on the other hand, boast an excellent home record, but have drawn six of their last seven away matches and suffered one defeat. While Bielefeld are desperately seeking a victory to escape the relegation zone, Darmstadt are aiming for their first away win in quite some time.
The balance sheet speaks in favour of Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld can look back on a strong record against Darmstadt ahead of this encounter. They are unbeaten in their last eight matches against the Lilies, securing six wins and two draws. Furthermore, they demonstrated resilience in the first leg at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, twice coming back from behind to take a point back to East Westphalia. Florian Kohfeldt’s team will be looking to change that record. Fabian Holland, in particular, is aiming not only to take three points from the SchücoArena for the first time, but also to achieve this feat in his 250th second-division appearance, should he play.
Set Piece duel on equal terms
Darmstadt often enters a match stronger than their opponents, at least on paper, when it comes to set pieces. This is because the South Hessians have already given their fans reason to cheer 16 times from a set piece. Only Paderborn have scored more often in this category (17). However, Darmstadt’s defence will need to be wary of set pieces on Saturday afternoon. Bielefeld are also extremely dangerous in this area – their 16 goals speak for themselves. In open play, however, the Kniat-coached team struggles somewhat. They have only scored 23 goals from open play, while Darmstadt have been successful 33 times.
Header champion
Darmstadt 98 impress with their aerial dominance: ten of their 39 goals have come from the head – almost reaching the top of the league, with only Paderborn ahead with 13. Darmstadt 98 have scored eight goals in this category. However, they are defensively solid: Darmstadt have conceded just four headed goals – only Kaiserslautern have a better record with three.
Shortly before five
Five Darmstadt players are at risk of receiving yellow cards in the match against Arminia Bielefeld. Fraser Hornby, Kai Klefisch, Isac Lidberg, Merveille Papela and Aleksandar Vukotić have each been booked four times so far this second division season.
Overall Record
|
Games |
Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | |
|
Home |
13 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 28:21 |
|
Away |
12 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 9:20 |
|
Overall |
25 | 7 | 6 | 12 | 37:41 |
For members: Season ticket sales start Friday
The season is currently suspended, and the start of the new second division season is still some time away. Nevertheless, attention is already turning to the upcoming season: Starting Friday (June 12th) at 12 noon, club members without a current season ticket can purchase their season ticket for the 2026/27 season. Tickets will be available both online and at the ticket office at the stadium.
‚Exemplary of the path we want to take‘
With the sales of Fraser Hornby and Isac Lidberg, SV 98 has generated considerable transfer revenue. We spoke with President Markus Pfitzner about the right moment for such transfers and the balancing act between financial stability and sporting ambition.
Lilies Across the Board: Traditional team in double action this weekend
This coming weekend (June 13th & 14th), the veterans team will be playing two matches. We'll give you all the details. We also celebrated two birthdays this week and have several events coming up. At the same time, we're keeping an eye on how our partner club, San Antonio FC, is doing. We've compiled all this and more for you in this edition of Lilies Across the Board.
Volunteers wanted for the new season
SV Darmstadt 98 is looking for enthusiastic Lilies fans for the new FuFa volunteer team. As a volunteer, you'll support fans and the club around match days and be right in the thick of things in and around the stadium. You can find all the information here.
First Lilien flea market in July
Browse, sell, and do good at the same time: On Sunday, July 12th, SV Darmstadt 98 is hosting its first Lilies flea market in the forecourt of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. With a focus on family, sustainability, and social cohesion, the event aims to give well-preserved items a second life.
Transfer News: Isac Lidberg leaves Darmstadt
Isac Lidberg is moving to the Bundesliga. SV 98 and Borussia Mönchengladbach have agreed on a transfer for the Swedish striker.
DFB-Pokal: Lilien Travel to Jena
The pairings for the first round of the DFB Cup have been drawn: SV Darmstadt 98 will face FC Carl Zeiss Jena away from home. The draw took place on Saturday evening (June 6th) at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Under the supervision of DFB Vice President Peter Frymuth, Referee of the Year 2026, Deniz Aytekin, who acted as the draw's host live on ARD, drew the match between Darmstadt and Jena.
Successful German Football ID Championship in Darmstadt
From the warm opening ceremony to the awards ceremony: The German Football ID Championship in Darmstadt offered exciting games, many wonderful encounters and a well-deserved German champion in the Hesse selection, which also included players from the SV 98 ID team.
Kick-off in the Odenwald, training camp again in the Allgäu
The first dates for SV 98's preparations for the 2026/27 second division season have been set: On June 25th, the professional team will return to the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor to undergo various medical tests and performance diagnostics. The first team training session will take place on June 27th in the Odenwald region.
Cup draw on Saturday | Fan team remains in the B-League
Who will SV Darmstadt 98 face in the first round of the DFB Cup? This question will be answered this coming Saturday (June 6th). The draw for the first round will be broadcast live on ARD's Sportschau. We'll be taking a look and providing you with all the information. We'll also be celebrating with the fan team's survival in the Kreisklasse B (eighth tier) and taking a look across the border to Texas in the USA. All this and more for you in "Lilies Across the Board" on Wednesday.
