On Friday (October 24th/6:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will travel to FC Schalke 04. We have summarised the most important information from the pre-match press conference for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Nürnberger remains out. Sergio Lopez is suspended. All other players are available.
So far, I’ve only been thinking about tomorrow’s away game, but not about Wednesday’s DFB-Pokal match. An away game at Schalke is currently one of the toughest matches you can face in the second division. We’ve dealt with that. We’re not looking ahead to Wednesday yet.
Miron Muslic has managed to get the team to believe pretty unconditionally in what they’re playing. That’s remarkable. But I also see a lot of parallels between the two clubs. Last season was certainly not the easiest for either of them. But both have a clear game plan this year – not the same one, but a clear one. And you can see that clearly at Schalke. They are incredibly energetic and defend strongly going forward. The strikers also work incredibly hard. It’s no coincidence that they have the best defence in the league. They have conceded one goal less than us. With the ball, they are a team whose game is built on a lot of depth, garnished with top quality, especially in attack. The strikers are sought out quickly, and this also involves lots of crosses.
Miron has done an excellent job of bringing calm and sporting success to the club. I think Frank Baumann also plays a role in that. It’s always a collaboration between manager and coach – and it seems to be working extremely well. Similar to how it works between Paul Fernie and me here in Darmstadt, from what I’ve seen. That’s always the basis for success. We played against each other twice in Belgium. I really appreciate his approach. He’s very pleasant to talk to, but a brutal competitor in a game. I’m delighted to see him and found the exchange very pleasant. So we’ll talk, give each other a hug, and give our all in the game to ensure our team wins.
I don’t have a favourite opponent. I’m surprised myself when I read the record, because it’s quite unusual. But that doesn’t matter for tomorrow’s game. I like playing at Schalke. It’s a great arena and a fantastic club with a lot of emotion. But it’s always a tough match because the energy this arena can generate is a factor in games. So my personal record doesn’t matter at all for tomorrow’s match.
Last season’s matches don’t give us any positive momentum for tomorrow. It would be the biggest mistake to think that. Schalke this season really has nothing to do with Schalke last season. The games from last season no longer have any relevance for us.
Matze Bader will be in the squad and handled the match against Magdeburg well. We can vary between a back three and a back four, and we see it as our strength that we’re not tied to one system. We do have a few options. Defensive strength will also be an important aspect against Schalke, and it will be very decisive there.
We’re traveling to the second-placed team in the table. After nine matchdays, it’s fair to look at the table. We’re fourth, three points behind. Schalke are obviously strong opponents. But we also have something to play for. I didn’t want to give the impression that we’re going there as complete underdogs. For me, it’s a 50-50 game. Of course, on good days we have a playful element to our game. I hope we can rediscover that after the Magdeburg game. We’re also very intense without the ball and win possession a lot – we showed that against Magdeburg too. But we need to play them more cleanly. I think set pieces will be a big issue. Both teams are very good at set pieces. I think you could say this will be an absolute top game in the second division on Friday evening.
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.
