Wednesday evening, floodlights and a packed Rudolf Harbig Stadium. And so into cup mode. The Lilies will play away against third division team Dynamo Dresden in the second round of the DFB Cup. Kick-off on Wednesday (October 30th) is at 8:45pm. In order to be well prepared for the cup fight, we took a closer look at SV 98's opponents and summarised everything you need to know in our opponent check.
The promotion places are within reach for Dynamo Dresden. In any case, the promotion race in the 3rd league is still super tight after twelve match days. Places one to six are separated by just two points. Dynamo Dresden is in fourth place with 21 points – behind Bielefeld (22), Sandhausen and Cottbus (both 23), and ahead of Saarbrücken and Wiesbaden (both 21). After Dresden were unable to win four games in a row, they gained a lot of self-confidence last weekend for the cup fight on Wednesday evening. The SGD won against Hannover 96’s second team 2-1 thanks to a late goal in stoppage time in front of their home crowd.
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Christoph Daferner – 6 Goals | Niklas Hauptmann – 2 Assists |
| Tony Menzel – 4 Goals | Philip Heise – 2 Assists |
| Robin Meißner – 4 Goals | Oliver Batista Meier – 2 Assists |
| Stefan Kutschke – 3 Goals | Tony Menzel – 2 Assists |
BVB professional and national player Nico Schlotterbeck and Yannick Keitel from VfB Stuttgart or goalkeeper Noah Atubolu from SC Freiburg as well as many other players with first and second division experience. They all once trained under Thomas Stamm, the head coach of Dynamo Dresden. The 41-year-old Swiss worked for SC Freiburg for a long time, first in the youth sector, then for the second team, where he did excellent work from 2015 to 2024. With the Freiburg U23 he managed, among other things, to reach second place in the 3rd league, which would have resulted in promotion to the 2nd Bundesliga if second representatives had been allowed to advance.
This summer, the Zurich-born former midfielder was given the chance to take over as head coach of a men’s professional football team for the first time. Dynamo Dresden came knocking, Stamm said yes. Basically, the trainer places a lot of emphasis on playing with the ball. He requires his team to have long periods of possession, which in the best case scenario ends with a scoring opportunity. Against the ball, Stamm and his team try to close the center as quickly as possible so that the opponent can generate little penetration through the middle.
It is probably uncomfortable for every visiting team in the Rudolf Harbig Stadium. It will probably also be uncomfortable for the people of Darmstadt when they enter the home stadium of SG Dynamo Dresden. Because the Dynamo fans, who proclaimed the motto „Everyone in yellow“ for the cup evening, are making it difficult for any opponent to play there and win away with their loud support. The proof: Dynamo Dresden have not lost a single home game so far this season, including the 2-0 win in the first round of the DFB Cup against second division team Fortuna Düsseldorf. The Saxons are in third place in the home table of the 3rd league – only Cottbus and Sandhausen (both 13) collected more points in front of their home crowd than Dynamo (12).
Christoph Daferner and Dynamo Dresden. It just fits together. From 2020 to 2022, the center forward played for the team from the Saxon capital. Together they were promoted to the 2nd Bundesliga. And even though Dynamo went straight back down a league, Daferner was able to impress in the black and yellow jersey and scored 13 goals.
After the now 26-year-old was unable to build on his Dresden performances in Nürnberg, he returned to his old love in the summer after a loan to Fortuna Düsseldorf. “The time at Dynamo was highly emotional and shaped me. “I will do everything I can to contribute to the team’s success next season,” reported the 1.89 meter tall striker when he signed his contract. In the third division season so far, Daferner has already scored six times in twelve games, is currently in fifth place on the top scorer list in the third division and is his team’s top goalscorer.
As Florian Kohfeldt approached the team's dressing room at halftime, the Darmstadt head coach heard exactly one sentence: "It's not finished." Fraser Hornby had uttered it, setting the tone for his teammates and himself. What followed was a remarkable second half from Darmstadt 98 and a point against SV Elversberg, a point that, while likely insufficient for their promotion hopes in southern Hesse, nonetheless filled the Darmstadt fans with pride.
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.
They fought to the very end, playing with ten men, and tried everything. But in the end, Darmstadt had to settle for a 3-3 draw against SV Elversberg in the sold-out Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. How do the Darmstadt players and staff assess the passionate 90 minutes at the Bölle? What did both head coaches have to say about the match? We've compiled all the reactions for you.
No winner in the clash of the pursuers: Darmstadt 98's home game against SV Elversberg ended in a 3-3 (2-3) draw. After three consecutive defeats, SV 98 managed to secure at least a point and now has 51 points this season. Pfeiffer (14th minute) and Hornby (15th and 51st minutes) scored for the team from southern Hesse.
It's home game day at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. On Saturday evening, the 31st matchday of the 2. Bundesliga, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg. Head coach Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting eleven compared to last week. Raoul Petretta replaces Fabian Nürnberger (thigh injury). Yosuke Furukawa also starts in place of Killian Corredor against the team from Saarland.
A new match under the floodlights awaits! On Saturday evening (April 25th, 8:30pm), Darmstadt 98 play against SV Elversberg. What are the coaches' opinions before the game? Who will referee, broadcast, and commentate the match? And what kind of weather can Darmstadt fans expect at the stadium? All the information is compiled for you in "Matchday Guide."
What are Florian Kohfeldt's thoughts on Saturday evening's match (April 25th/8:30pm) against SV Elversberg? Where does he see the strengths of their upcoming opponent? And how does his team plan to get back on track after three consecutive defeats? The Darmstadt head coach answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday (April 24th) in the catacombs of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. We've summarised Kohfeldt's key statements from the press conference for you.
On Saturday evening (April 26th/8:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will host the team from SV 07 Elversberg and asks you to take note of the following information.
In the world of football, a yo-yo team is a team that oscillates between two leagues – too good for one league, but not quite at the level of the next higher one. The result is usually many promotions and many relegations. But SV Elversberg is currently redefining the term. For several years now, the yo-yo has been taking SVE almost exclusively upwards.
Saturday evening at the Böllenfalltor, the seventh edition! This time, SV Darmstadt 98 hosts SV Elversberg at the Merck Stadium. Both teams are strong offensively and convincing defensively. But where do the differences lie? And in which statistics do both the team from southern Hesse and the Saarlanders lead the pack? We've compiled all the facts and figures for this match right here for you.
The news that Fabian Holland will no longer play for Darmstadt at the end of this season affected everyone at the club. We take a look at it. Also exciting this week: The U17s host Eintracht Frankfurt's youth team in Pfungstadt today, Wednesday (April 22nd/5pm) for the Hessian derby in the Hesse Cup; the Darmstadt first team will wear members' jerseys against SV Elversberg next Saturday (April 25th/8:30pm); and the Darmstadt VIP box has been temporarily converted into a yoga camp. "Darmstadt Across the Board" on Wednesday is available here.
The end of an era. Fabian Holland's twelfth season in the Lilies' jersey will be his last with SV 98. The 35-year-old's contract, which expires at the end of the season, will not be renewed. The club informed Holland of this decision in a confidential meeting. Both club and player agree to focus entirely on achieving the best possible end to the season until the final match and that any plans for a farewell celebration will depend on how the rest of the season unfolds.