Foto: Mara Wolf 23.03.2026 / English
U21: Young Lilies defeated shortly before the end
A close match ended in a late defeat for SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team. On Saturday (March 21st, 3:00pm), the young Lilies hosted SC Waldgirmes. The two teams are now separated by only one point in the league table, a situation reflected in the course of the game and the final score of 2-1.
In the end, it was a set piece.
Less than five minutes in, the visitors from Waldgirmes took the lead, putting Darmstadt behind 1-0 (4th minute). U21 coach Sebastian Schmitt explained to sv98.de that it was „a mistake in the build-up play“ by the young Darmstadt side that led to the goal. His players thus found themselves chasing a deficit early on. However, the young team showed resilience and fought their way back into the game. Their efforts were rewarded shortly before halftime: a long-range shot from Milian Herbst found the back of the net in the 45th minute. The score remained 1-1 at the start of the second half. „The team came out of the locker room with great energy,“ said Schmitt. After the restart, Darmstadt were immediately determined to turn the game around. They converted their fresh start into „two good chances,“ but couldn’t find the net. „As the game progressed, it became more balanced again,“ Schmitt reported. Seven minutes before the final whistle, the team from Waldgirmes launched another decisive attack, this time from a set piece, and Nico Goetz put them ahead 2-1 (83′). Just as they had after conceding the first goal, the young Lilies showed resilience and fought for a late equalizer. However, Schmitt’s team squandered one last golden opportunity, ultimately suffering a narrow defeat.
Following this defeat, SV 98’s U21 team sits in 14th place with 26 points, while SC Waldgirmes closes the gap to just one point with their victory. Everything is still possible in the fight to avoid relegation, and the team maintains a positive attitude, according to Schmitt: „The energy and commitment are there.“ While the evenly matched game featured many good plays, „a very young team sometimes lacks the necessary cutting edge,“ Schmitt explained.
Foto: Mara Wolf 
Foto: Mara Wolf 
Foto: Mara Wolf 
Foto: Mara Wolf 
Foto: SV 98 
Foto: SV 98 
Foto: SV 98 
Foto: SV 98 Next stop: Weidenhausen
The young Lilies‘ next match is on Sunday (March 28th/3:00pm) away against SV Weidenhausen. A win against the seventeenth-placed team would bring home some crucial points. Therefore, the U21s will „give it their all against Weidenhausen,“ says Schmitt, who adds: „The team believes in themselves and the lads understand what the challenges are.“
Line-Up: Börner – Kunstmann (Merx, 46′), Karakaya (Görtler, 75′), Jaadar (Schnerring, 88′), Schlosser, Kadrijaj, Klappich, Meier (Smailji, 88′), Herbst, Arnold (Mignano, 63′), Pfister.
Marseiler suffers cruciate ligament tear
The worst fears have been confirmed: Luca Marseiler suffered a torn cruciate ligament in the home match against FC Schalke 04. The 29-year-old sustained the injury in the 23rd minute without any contact from an opponent. Marseiler will be sidelined for several months. Further treatment and the timing of the surgery will be decided in the coming days.
Lilies test against Saarbrücken
Next Thursday (26.03) at 1pm, SV Darmstadt 98 will play a friendly match against 1. FC Saarbrücken.
Patric Pfeiffer on an international trip
Patric Pfeiffer has been called up to the Ghanaian national team for the first time. The 26-year-old central defender is in the squad for the upcoming friendlies, in which Ghana will first face Austria on Friday (March 27th/6pm) and then Germany on Monday (March 30th/8:45pm).
Krombacher Böllenfalltor GOAL bonus
For every home goal scored by the Lilies, SV Darmstadt 98 fans will be doubly rewarded in the 2025/26 season. In addition to the joy and excitement, the Lilies' supporters will also receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor.
‚A fair draw‘
A thrilling match on Saturday evening ended in a draw: FC Schalke 04 and Darmstadt 98 played to a stalemate, each securing a point on matchday 27. The game was overshadowed by a potentially serious injury to Luca Marseiler. Following the match, both sides expressed their best wishes for the winger's recovery. The coaches' analysis of the game was similar: a fair draw. Here are the post-match reactions.
Points Shared under the Lights
No winner on Saturday evening: The top match between Darmstadt and league leaders Schalke 04 ended 1-1 (1-1). Lidberg scored for the home side in first-half stoppage time. In a thrilling match, Darmstadt secured their 50th point of the season and remain firmly in contention at the top end of the table.
Team News: Hornby and Nürnberger start
A top match at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor! On matchday 27, Darmstadt 98 host FC Schalke 04. Just in time for this clash, Fraser Hornby returns to the SV 98 starting lineup, replacing Niklas Schmidt. Fabian Nürnberger also starts in place of Fabian Holland. Killian Corredor is also available for SV 98 again, but the Frenchman will initially be on the bench.
Matchday Guide: All the info on the Schalke game
Saturday evening. Floodlights. Top match. Darmstadt 98 hosts FC Schalke 04 for the 27th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. Kick-off is at 8:30pm on Saturday (March 21st). What do both head coaches have to say before the game? Who will referee the match? And who will be the commentator? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the game against the Royal Blues for you in our "Matchday Guide".
Two top teams in the league face each other
A floodlit match at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. How excited are the players for Saturday evening's clash? What strengths of the opponent should Darmstadt be particularly wary of? And what is their own game plan? Ahead of SV Darmstadt 98's home game against FC Schalke 04 (March 21st/8:30pm), Florian Kohfeldt answered these and other questions at the press conference on Friday (March 20th). We've summarised the most important statements from the Darmstadt coach for you.
Organisational information for the home game against Schalke 04
On Saturday evening (21.03/20.30), SV Darmstadt 98 will host FC Schalke 04 and asks you to take note of the following information.
Facts and Stats: The top facts about the Schalke game
The top match of the 2nd Bundesliga is something special. When FC Schalke 04 travels to southern Hesse to face SV Darmstadt 98, the league leaders and second-placed team will clash on Saturday evening (March 21st/8:30pm). Offensively strong Darmstadt against defensively solid Schalke. All the important facts and figures about Saturday evening's duel are compiled for you here in the Top Facts.
Opposition Check: Schalke 04
It's widely known that Pep Guardiola introduced tiki-taka football to the Bundesliga during his time at Bayern Munich. Many top clubs adopted this captivating short-passing style of play, which had been developed over many years by numerous coaches in Barcelona. However, Guardiola wasn't quite the first in Germany to bring this style of play to the league. Over 90 years ago, it was the team from Gelsenkirchen that laid the foundations for tiki-taka in Germany – albeit under a different name.