Review. Season 2023/24. It was the 23rd matchday in the Bundesliga and SV Darmstadt 98 played against SV Werder Bremen in the Weserstadion. The 1-1 score brought the Lilies a point, but left all Darmstadt residents with bitter feelings. A strange course of play and a controversial moment in stoppage time provided plenty to talk about. First, the Hessians fell behind through an own goal before they were able to equalise. But the big excitement came in the seventh minute of injury time: Tim Skarke caused pure ecstasy with his supposed last-minute winning goal - on the field, but also in the visitors' block. But the joy didn't last long. Because the referee team overturned the goal due to a controversial handball rule.
Despite the trouble from last February, SV Darmstadt 98 can look back on good memories against Werder Bremen. In the first half of the 2023/24 season, for example, the North Germans were defeated at home 4-2. In addition, the Lilies have only lost two of eight competitive games against Bremen since 2015, but have never been able to win in the Weserstadion. But what is it called? The cup has its own laws! We take a closer look at SV 98’s round of 16 opponents.
| Top Scorers | Top Assists |
| Jens Stage – 5 Goals | Marvin Ducksch – 6 Assists |
| Marvin Ducksch – 5 Goals | Mitchell Weiser – 4 Assists |
| Keke Topp – 4 Goals | Justin Njinmah – 2 Assists |
| Justin Njinmah – 2 Goals | Romano Schmid – 2 Assists |
“I don’t know of any player in our squad who hasn’t gotten better under him.”
With these words, Bremen’s goalkeeper Michael Zetterer praised his head coach Ole Werner in an interview with Sport 1. The 36-year-old has been on the sidelines of SV Werder Bremen since 2021, and last Thursday (November 28th) he celebrated his three-year anniversary on the Weser. Werner already had a good reason to celebrate with the North Germans in his first season: with SVW he was promoted to the Bundesliga straight away. Since then he has managed to steadily establish the team in the middle of the table in the top German league.
Before Werner started working in Bremen, he gained experience at his Holstein Kiel training club. There he caused a stir when, for example, he led the “Storks” to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup. On the way there, Werner and his team pulled off one of the biggest surprises in the cup in the quarter-finals: a victory on penalties against the record champions and cup winners FC Bayern Munich. After the game, Werner was enthusiastic: “I just met a lot of confused people in the dressing room. It is an extraordinary experience and something that will be remembered for many years to come.”
So Werner knows how the trophy works.
Switching off after a tour? That’s definitely not a good idea against SV Werder Bremen. In the current Bundesliga season, the boys from the Weser have impressively proven how dangerous they can be even when they are behind. Bremen were initially behind in eight games, but they saved at least one point in half of these games. They collected eight points with two wins and two draws. With this record, Werder is one of the strongest teams in the league when it comes to catching up. Only the reigning German champions Bayer 04 Leverkusen were able to generate more points after falling behind (9).
Jens Stage. A player in the best possible shape of his life. The Danish midfielder from SV Werder Bremen is currently enjoying an outstanding season in the Bundesliga and has five goals to his name so far. He scored three alone in Werder’s spectacular comeback in Hoffenheim, when they won 4-3 after being 3-0 down. A remarkable record, too, especially for a central midfielder. “I always said that I had to score goals. I have always scored goals in my career. Not many, but the number is okay. For me it is important to first get into the right situations. With self-confidence you score the goals,” explained Stage in an internal interview with the club.
His strong performances in the Werder shirt did not go unnoticed at international level. In October, the 28-year-old was called up to the Danish national team again after three years without being called up – for the Nations League games against Spain and Switzerland. While he was not yet used against the reigning European champions Spain, Stage was able to play his second international match for the senior national team against Switzerland. The Dane dreams of further appearances in the jersey of his home country in the future: “My goal, like every footballer, is to play there. I know that I have to work hard at the club and perform well. “First of all, I’m trying to do my best for Werder and I know that if I find the right moments, I’ll have a better chance of playing for the national team.”
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.