On Saturday (October 4th at 1pm), SV Darmstadt 98 travels to Holstein Kiel. We've summarised the most important information from the pre-match press conference for you.
Personnel update: Paul Will and Matthias Bader have returned to team training, but are not yet available for the away game.
For me, Kiel is a team that has had a very difficult start. Six of the seven teams they’ve played against are from the top third of the table. We’re the third league leaders they’re playing against. They haven’t necessarily talked about needing a shake-up, but have been relatively open about their desire to get promoted again and have invested accordingly. And you can see that in their games, too.
They’ve had a coach for many years who stands for a clear vision. They’re a very physical team, leading the league in terms of „intense runs“ – both in terms of high-speed runs and sprints. They generally play out of a back three and, in Bernhardsson, on the right in front of the back three, have an attacking player who is one of the league’s top players. Kiel has a clear vision of how they want to press – especially in home games, they go for it harder than away. I expect a team that will try to physically smother us, that plays very clearly and quickly up front and is very determined. That’s a tough opponent waiting for us up north.
I’m not at all interested in the record against Kiel because I wasn’t there for the games. Kiel isn’t right next to Bremen, so there’s no real sense of home. But you know Kiel – it’s a traditional club in the north. They’ve done a great job in recent years. I have a lot of respect for that, including for the club’s overall development. A nice old acquaintance of mine, Finn Bartels, ended his career there. A former player, Patrick Erras, plays there. There are a few similarities, but I’m far from having an incredible connection to it.
It’s very difficult to predict the outcome of games in the league because every team has characteristics that allow them to win games. What’s exciting is that we’ve played against very different opponents and have often found different solutions.
Our game plan is based on being able to outplay an opponent when necessary, being able to hurt an opponent by winning the ball, and also being able to stay compact during certain phases of the game. The team’s form always says something. And Kiel has often faced opponents in peak form so far this season.
I’m happy about everyone who’s at the training ground. But everyone who was fit to play has already had their moment this season. Luca Marseiler comes in against Düsseldorf and has three goal contributions. Or Matej Maglica against Braunschweig.
These players are constantly changing, which then provide highlights. This also shows the players that it’s worth sticking with it. We’re in October, and there’s not a single player yet who has said: „Then I’ll just be number 16-19 in the squad.“ I’ve never had that in my coaching career. Despite our clear focus and structure, the others are scratching their heads in a positive way. And yet, we have a very good relationship on a personal level. We have to get the players on board – not for tactical reasons, but because we need everyone. One of our greatest strengths this year is the group, and we’ve worked hard on that.
On the one hand, it is a bit of luck that we don’t have any injuries at the moment. The game has become more intense and more stressful for the players. On the other hand, I think this is also an issue that Paul Fernie can take credit for. We are pushing this issue very hard as a tandem. We have changed an incredible number of structures – be it meeting structures or the athlete management system that we have installed. Everyone knows about the players: the coach, the physio, and the athletic trainer. We always have to think first: What is important and good for the player? That won’t always work. But I believe that we have significantly increased the likelihood of having fewer injuries. I am very pleased that we have been able to make a lasting impact on this development in this area too.
The mood is good. That’s fine when you’ve earned the points we did. Honestly, though, that doesn’t matter for the game in Kiel. We know it’s a very difficult away game. We deliberately trained for a long week because we feel we want to continue working with focus and confidence. It’s a really difficult game in Kiel – but we’re also approaching it with the confidence that we’ve found a variety of, yet always appropriate, solutions over the past few weeks.
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
