Normally the away team takes the team bus to the stadium - directly to the entrance to the catacombs, from where they only have to walk a few steps to the dressing room. It's just stupid when the bus gets stuck in a traffic jam and can't make any progress... That's what happened last Sunday (September 29th) before Karlsruher SC's second division game at 1. FC Köln. And because nothing worked anymore, the bus doors suddenly opened and the KSC players walked the last few meters to the Rhein-Energie Stadium.
As a result, kick-off was postponed ten minutes later. And the Karlsruhe team didn’t get off to a good start and were already 3-0 behind after just a quarter of an hour. But what followed was an incredible comeback by head coach Christian Eichner’s team. Initially the KSC was still 2:4 behind at the break, but in the end the Karlsruhe team fought for an impressive 4:4. A remarkable comeback from a team that is already one of the top teams in the 2nd Bundesliga this season: Karlsruher SC is undefeated and in third place in the table with 15 points collected. We’ll take a closer look at SV Darmstadt 98’s upcoming opponent before the duel on Friday evening (October 4th/6:30pm).
| Top Arrivals | Departures |
| David Herold (Left-back, Bayern München II) | Lars Stindl (Retired) |
| Luca Pfeiffer (Striker, VfB Stuttgart) | Jerome Gondorf (Retired) |
| Lasse Günther (Left-back, FC Augsburg) | Philip Heise (Dynamo Dresden) |
| Bambase Conte (Left winger, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim) | Tim Rossmann (Fortuna Düsseldorf) |
| Robin Heußer (Midfield, Wehen Wiesbaden) | Patrick Drewes (VfL Bochum) |
When it comes to the organisation of the game on Friday, Christian Eichner will probably no longer want to have a say. Last weekend, while traveling by bus to the away game in Cologne, something that wasn’t supposed to happen happened to Karlsruher SC. Due to a traffic jam, the players had to walk together to the Rhein-Energie Stadium, which is why kick-off was postponed by ten minutes. “That was a mistake in the planning, I take responsibility for that,” admitted Eichner at the press conference after the game.
Review. The former full-back has been a Karlsruher through and through since his youth. He started his active professional career there in the U17. He then moved on from the second team up to the professional squad – he has 137 competitive games for Karlsruhe on his CV. In total, Eichner played 139 games in the Bundesliga, which he played for KSC, 1. FC Köln and Hoffenheim. However, due to a meniscus injury, his playing career ended in January 2015. Apparently he couldn’t do it without professional sport. A year later, the Sinsheimer started his career as a coach at Karlsruher SC in the U17 and was promoted to assistant coach for the professionals the following year. He took on the role of head coach on an interim basis for the first time in 2017. In 2020 it was Baden’s permanent solution, which has lasted ever since and promises success.
The showpiece of Karlsruher SC? The Wildpark Stadium. The KSC home ground has been an impregnable fortress to date – three home games, three home wins. The Baden team also impresses with their goal threat. Because 16 goals this season are currently only topped by 1. FC Köln (18). With Budu Zivzivadze, the Karlsruhe team also has the best goalscorer of the current second division season in their squad – the Georgian has scored six goals to date and he currently shares first place in the top scorer list with Moussa Sylla from FC Schalke 04.
The SV Darmstadt 98 defense will have to pay particular attention to one player in the away game in Karlsruhe; Budu Zivzivadze is currently in impressive form. Last year, the striker was able to put the ball in the opponent’s goal twelve times in 31 games. This season there are already seven goals in eight competitive games. The 30-year-old played really well in the opening game against 1.FC Nürnberg. After a 0-2 deficit, the offensive player single-handedly turned the game around. As he says, “of course the hat-trick gave me self-confidence.” He showed that in the following games, scoring the late winning goal against Eintracht Braunschweig and both goals in the clash with FC Schalke 04. At 50 percent of all KSC goals in the current second division season, the attacker was directly involved.
Zivzivadze has now appeared 30 times in the national team jersey for his home country of Georgia and has eight international goals. One of his biggest career highlights was probably the nomination of national coach Willy Sagnol for the 2024 European Championships in Germany. The 1.89 meter tall attacker came on as a substitute in the 85th minute in the opening game against Turkey. He only received his second European Championship appearance later in the tournament, in the surprising round of 16 against eventual European champions Spain.
After 13 unbeaten second-division matches, SV Darmstadt 98 suffered their first defeat this Friday evening. Three unfortunate minutes just before halftime, during which Patric Pfeiffer was sent off and Vincent Vermeij scored twice, paved the way for Dresden's victory. After the match, the focus was primarily on the differing assessments of two very similar incidents by the refereeing team – incidents which both coaches subsequently evaluated identically.
For the first time since October, Darmstadt 98 finished a league match without any points: SV 98 lost 3-1 (2-0) to SG Dynamo Dresden. After a controversial red card against Patric Pfeiffer (42nd minute), the home side scored two goals in first-half stoppage time to secure the victory.
Under the floodlights at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadium. On Friday evening (February 27th/6:30pm), Darmstadt 98 will play away against Dynamo Dresden. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting eleven. Raoul Petretta makes his first start, replacing Fabian Holland. Luca Marseiler starts in place of the suspended Marco Richter, and Hiroki Akiyama replaces Fraser Hornby, who is sidelined with a thigh injury. Fabian Nürnberger, Matthias Bader, and Bartosz Bialek remain unavailable due to injury.
A floodlit match at the Rudolf-Haribig-Stadion is always something special. Darmstadt 98 are aiming to take three points back to southern Hesse this Friday evening (February 27th). Kick-off is at 6:30pm. All the important information about the 24th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga is clearly summarised for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Darmstadt 98 aim to extend their unbeaten run to 14 games in Friday evening's match against Dynamo Dresden. While Darmstadt's potent attack has resulted in a respectable goal tally, they are wary at the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. The Saxons have been on an upward trend since the winter break and will have a vociferous home crowd behind them. We've compiled all the facts and figures surrounding this clash in this report. Here you'll find the key facts for tomorrow's match.
Darmstadt and Dresden are 598 kilometres apart. On Friday evening (February 27th, 6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to the Saxon capital for the 24th matchday of the 2nd Bundesliga. The next away game will take place under the floodlights at the historic Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion. You can find all relevant fan information here.
Before SV Darmstadt 98 plays under floodlights in Dresden on Friday evening (27.02/18.30), Florian Kohfeldt spoke at the press conference about the strengths of Dynamo Dresden and the special atmosphere in the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion.
Raoul Petretta joined SV Darmstadt 98 in the winter and already feels very much at home. He talks about his arrival and his goals. Besides their sporting focus, the Lilies are also committed to sustainability: On March 15, 2026, over 3,500 trees will be planted as part of the fifth "In the Sign of the Lily" tree-planting campaign. In our "Lilies Across the Board" section, we provide you with the most important news from SV Darmstadt 98 every week.
Numerous Dynamo Dresden fans flock to the stadium on home match days. But one day, they came for a single reason: What should their stadium be called in the future? Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in front of the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, ready to cast their votes. In cooperation with regional partners, Dynamo Dresden's management took the unusual step of letting the club's supporters decide for themselves.
WirLilien – Together for nature conservation! Together with our partner Krombacher, we will once again plant more than 3,500 trees on Sunday (March 15th) – under the banner of the Lily. You can still register for the event at short notice.
On Friday (February 27th, 7:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team begins the second phase of their Hessenliga season. With 23 points after 20 matchdays, the Lilies are currently in 14th place. Following intensive weeks of winter training, the team aims to start the upcoming challenges with renewed energy and secure crucial points.
A fast-paced, thrilling exchange between SV Darmstadt 98 and Fortuna Düsseldorf reached its ecstatic climax in the 88th minute. Thanks to Matej Maglica's header, Darmstadt secured a 2-1 victory in a wild battle that resembled a 12-round boxing match, with both sides neglecting their defences and constantly searching for the next hook or punch. A day later, sv98.de looks back on what was probably the most exciting home game of the season so far for the South Hessian side.