No defeat after eight match days. 16 points in the account. A third place in the table. SC Paderborn could hardly have started the season better. The East Westphalia team got off to an impressive start on the first matchday by defeating Hertha in the Olympic Stadium. Hamburger SV also later had to settle for a lucky point against Paderborn in their home Volksparkstadion. It was a phase in which head coach Lukas Kwasniok's team seemed almost unstoppable. Even after their first defeat of the season against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, the team promptly responded with a 2-1 win over Bundesliga relegated 1. FC Köln – and Darmstadt also had to bite the bullet on the second matchday in the Home Deluxe Arena.
18 match days have now been played. And SCP is in eighth place in the crowded 2nd Bundesliga with a total of 28 points – just three points behind a direct promotion spot. Where does the SCP’s path lead this season? The duel next Sunday (January 26th/1:30pm) at SV Darmstadt 98 could provide answers – even if it is early in the second half of the season. Are East Westphalia keeping up with the top places? Or will they be overtaken by the Lilies? Before these and other questions are answered in the Merck Stadium at the Böllenfalltor, let’s take a closer look at the upcoming opponent.
| Top Scorer | Top Assists |
| Filip Bilbija – 5 Goals | Aaron Zehnter – 7 Assists |
| Raphael Obermair – 4 Goals | Filip Bilbija – 4 Tore |
| Ilyas Ansah – 3 Goals | Raphael Obermair – 3 Assists |
| Sven Michel – 3 Goals | Ilyas Ansah – 2 Assists |
| Koen Kostons – 3 Goals | Adriano Grimaldi – 2 Assists |
Honest. Direct. Authentic. Anyone who is given these three attributes in the football business will quickly be labeled as a “real guy”. A guy who is not above expressing his opinion clearly and concisely. Straightforward, without empty phrases. One person who does this image justice is Lukas Kwasniok, the head coach of SC Paderborn. “I’m probably one of those coaches where you have to worry that I’ll knock someone out,” the 43-year-old once told the Association of German Sports Journalists.
The native Pole also likes to show off his sense of humour. When rumours about FC Bayern Munich’s search for a coach arose well before the season, Kwasniok promptly gave the record champions a clear rejection with a wink. „Absolutely no way. “I’ll proactively join in and just cancel,” joked the SCP coach, who has been on the sidelines for East Westphalia since summer 2021.
The Paderborn team guided the football teacher from 1. FC Saarbrücken to North Rhine-Westphalia. With the Saarland team, Kwasniok had previously managed to win the championship in the Regionalliga Südwest and thus gain promotion to the 3rd league. The 43-year-old is also building on his successful past position at SC Paderborn. In recent seasons he has always managed to place the SCP in the upper midfield of the table – always within reach of the promotion places. Kwasniok has now been in the Paderborn head coach’s chair for more than 128 games – only Steffen Baumgart (166) and Günther Rybarczyk (209) coached more games for Paderborn.
SV Darmstadt 98 should be particularly vigilant as soon as the referee blows the whistle for the second half. From this point on, SC Paderborn is particularly in a goal-scoring mood. Of their 30 goals this season, the East Westphalians only scored eight in the first 45 minutes, while they scored the other 22 goals in the second half. The Lilies should pay particular attention to the final phase: In this phase, the Darmstadt team conceded eight goals – from the 76th minute to the final whistle. SC Paderborn has already been successful ten times in this phase – only Düsseldorf (11) has scored more goals in this phase of the game.
Without joy in the game there is no football. This realisation shapes Filip Bilbija’s career. He started at Berliner SC when he was just five years old. He not only spent ten years of his youth there, but also played under his father and together with his older brother. Nevertheless, playing football with his friends during school breaks was often what he enjoyed more than training in a club. After moving to Tennis Borussia Berlin, the then young player was in danger of completely losing sight of his dream of professional football. Only a viewing tournament brought the turning point and opened the doors. One thing was clear to Bilbija: “I won’t move to Hertha or Union. I have to get out of Berlin so as not to be distracted,” said Bilbija in an interview on the YouTube channel “EinfachSergen”.
Get out of the capital and go to Bavaria. FC Ingolstadt became his first professional station. Here he established himself in men’s football. In 2022, the offensive player moved to Hamburger SV. But a lack of playing time sapped his self-confidence. “There were two or three months in Hamburg when my self-confidence was pretty low,” admitted the now 24-year-old. A new start followed in 2023 with the move to SC Paderborn.
Here in East Westphalia, Bilbija found his way back to what excited him as a child: the pure joy of playing. With five goals and four assists, he is currently his team’s top scorer. Bilbija: “Paderborn is the first team in professional football where I am and still feel like a teenager. This makes me enjoy football more again.“
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.