What a turbulent match, what jubilation in stoppage time! Despite trailing 2-1 at halftime, SV Darmstadt 98 fought their way back into the game and celebrated an away victory against Hannover 96 thanks to Hiroki Akiyama's last-minute goal (90+4). The joy over the result and the performance, especially in the second half, was correspondingly immense. We've gathered all the reactions to this spectacular away win for SV 98.
I’m very satisfied here for several reasons. For me, overall it’s a draw. That’s why I’m very pleased that we were able to score shortly before the end. But I’m also satisfied with the performance. We spent a long time considering how to play against Hannover. Last season, we also played against a Christian Titz team, Magdeburg. We decided then that we couldn’t press them. Today, we wanted to play from our own strength. We showed that in the first 15 minutes. We created scoring opportunities and then scored the goal.
Then we conceded a goal from a set piece, which was very unlucky. Hannover then got stronger and, to be honest, they had chances to extend their lead even further after going 2-1 up. But we rallied again just before halftime, and Akiyama had a great chance with his shot that hit the crossbar. We came out strong in the second half and played very well. We had more possession, which isn’t easy against a team like Hannover. The last 15 minutes turned into an open, end-to-end affair. That’s why we go to the stadium, to see a game like this. Today, we were fortunate to come out on top. In the end, we also had chances with Akiyama, even before his goal, and with Papela’s shot that hit the inside of the post and Hornby’s shot that struck the crossbar. I’m happy with the three points and very satisfied with the performance. I have enormous respect for Hannover and the way they play football. Hannover is a top team, and we put in a top performance today.
After going down 1-0, we went through a period where we had a lot of clear-cut chances and should have wrapped up the game by halftime. We can’t afford to regularly concede two or three goals in a home game. Then the overall scoreline becomes too high. I also think it was a good game and Darmstadt put in a good performance. But we set up our defence very specifically because we wanted to cover the space behind us. Then we conceded the first goal when a Darmstadt player ran clear on our goal. We immediately conceded the equaliser in a situation where we left space open, even though we had a numerical advantage. The third goal was the same. We then lost the game because we didn’t defend consistently. So I have to be clear: there are two sides to every story. Firstly, the number of chances, but also how we defended.
„The victory against such a superior opponent feels incredible. We are overjoyed. It was a crazy game – especially for the neutral observer. It was end-to-end. We had to endure a lot against Hannover; they did a great job with their constant positional changes. In the end, we scored the goal on a counter-attack, which has been a strong feature for us in recent games. In the first half, however, we were still too hesitant in the challenges and didn’t go into the duels with the absolute conviction. Then, of course, Hannover played very well in tight spaces. But we always believed in ourselves. The morale was unbelievable; we never gave up. We secured a very important victory against one of the top teams in the league.“
“It was an absolutely top-class match from both teams – especially in terms of the solutions they found with and without the ball. It was complex; two absolute coaching experts were playing against each other today. That was fun to watch. I was very pleased with the courage we showed away from home. And I’m very happy that we were able to translate that into a good result. Hannover had an extremely intense period of pressure towards the end of the first half, investing a lot of energy. That took its toll. After halftime, there was a break in the game. We were then back in control. Our performance against a really good team that demanded everything from us was excellent. When you put in as much energy as we did, the probability of winning is higher. And then, of course, you can snatch victory with a lucky punch just before the final whistle.”
„A victory couldn’t feel much better. In the final stages, it was an open game that could have gone either way. We are very happy about the lucky punch.“
Attention Lilien fans: During SV Darmstadt 98’s training camp in Bad Wörishofen (Allgäu region)—taking place from July 19th to July 26th, 2026—there will once again be an opportunity to meet the team, chat with the players, and, of course, get autographs and photos. The fan meet-up is scheduled for Saturday, July 25th, following the friendly match against SG Sonnenhof Großaspach. Kick-off for the match is at 12pm.
SV 98 remains active in the transfer market. The "Lilies" have signed Christopher Lannert from Arminia Bielefeld.
Friendly matches, fundraising campaigns, and plenty of photos—that’s what the week looked like for SV 98 and the club’s community. Between their 5–1 victory over FC Homburg and the upcoming friendly in Walldorf this Friday (July 17), the „Lilies“ showed their best side for the cameras. In addition, the SV 98 legends team will face an Odenwald select squad on Sunday (July 19th). You can also win great prizes in competitions taking place in Erbach and at the pop-up store in downtown Darmstadt. Lilies Across the Board brings you all the latest news from life at SV 98.
The Bundesliga finalised the match schedules for matchdays three through six on Wednesday (July 15th): Darmstadt's home game against Hannover 96 on matchday three will take place on Sunday. This will be followed by their away game against 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday at 1pm. The home game against Arminia Bielefeld on Friday evening and the away game in Wolfsburg, also on Friday evening, have also been confirmed.
The Lilies can welcome another new arrival at the Böllenfalltor: Florian Kleinhansl will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 25-year-old joins on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with 1. FC Kaiserslautern on June 30th.
Third test, third clear victory. SV 98 won the match against FC 08 Homburg 5-1 (3-0).
SV Darmstadt 98 and the fusion energy company Focused Energy are entering into an official partnership. The aim of the collaboration is to more closely link top-level football and high technology from the Darmstadt region and to jointly generate momentum for innovation and future societal issues.
Killian Corredor will be playing in his home country again in the future. SV 98 has reached an agreement with FC Nantes on the transfer of the Frenchman.
On Tuesday (July 14, 6pm), SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Regionalliga side FC Homburg and asks fans to take note of the following information.
A home game against KSV! SV Darmstadt 98 hosts Holstein Kiel for the opening matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season this Saturday (August 8 at 1pm). Here’s how you can be there: the member pre-sale for the new season's first home game begins this coming Wednesday (July 15) at 12pm —available online and at the ticket shop at the Merck-Stadion, as usual. You can find all further details in this announcement.
For every home goal scored by the "Lilies," SV Darmstadt 98 fans were doubly rewarded during the recent 2025/26 second-division season. Beyond the joy and excitement, supporters received 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every goal Darmstadt scored at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
In recent days, various media outlets have published reports and graphics regarding the distribution of TV revenue for the 2026/27 season. Some of these reports included not only specific figures but also a comparison to the previous season. This comparison indicates a supposed revenue increase of €1.4 million for SV 98 compared to the 2025/26 season.