The U21 team made a perfect start to the new year: In their first match, the Hessenliga side defeated Türk Gücü Friedberg 5-3. The young Lilies showed great character, coming back from a two-goal deficit to secure the win. The victory not only provides crucial points in the fight to avoid relegation, but also marks the perfect debut for Sebastian Schmitt as U21 coach.
“We had extremely positive energy before the game, and even the 1-0 deficit didn’t change that,” said Sebastian Schmitt about the early setback, as Friedberg took the lead with a penalty in the second minute. Milian Herbst equalised before halftime (28′). After the break, however, Friedberg pressed forward again and took the lead once more from a corner (57′). But SV 98 rallied again: Smail Kadrijaj leveled the score (70′) before Mika Schlosser put his team ahead for the first time after a cross from the left (75′). But: The Lilies‘ lead wouldn’t last five minutes. A set piece brought the 3-3 equaliser for Türk Gücü (79′). Kadrijaj turned the game around once again, scoring to make it 4-3 (83rd minute) – his 17th goal of the season. Kelvin Kunstmann’s goal to make it 5-3 (90+5) was a classic counter-attack that put the finishing touch on this wild, fast-paced match.
The positive takeaway: The young team, with an average age of 18.9 years, kept a cool head throughout the match and, thanks to their heart and skillful play, came back several times – a fact that bodes well for future challenges. Schmitt himself sees the team in a „process of clarity and defining roles,“ which, thanks to this success, marks a promising start to his work with the U21 team.
Another home game is scheduled for March 8th, this time against FC Gießen. The current fourth-placed team travels to southern Hesse with two clean sheets in 2026. However, the U21 team is confident of taking something away from the game against FCG.
SV 98 has filled the vacant position of Sporting Director at its youth academy. Maximilian Mehring succeeds Björn Müller. The 39-year-old had previously been serving as interim coach at the Lilies' youth academy. SV 98 has also adjusted its reporting structure within the youth academy.
More than 30,000 fans packed the Rudolf-Harbig-Stadion, creating an impressive atmosphere under the floodlights – pure football romance. The setting for Darmstadt's away match against Dynamo Dresden was truly special. Two teams with a playful and attacking approach faced off. For 42 minutes, these ingredients combined to create an entertaining, tactically sophisticated, and intense duel. Until a referee's decision decisively influenced the outcome. We look back on an emotional evening in Dresden.
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.
