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.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.