Lilies lose in Karlsruhe
The away form continues to be poor: SV 98 suffered a 2-1 (0-0) defeat against Karlsruher SC. Lidberg scored the equaliser for the team from southern Hesse in the 70th minute.
03.05.2026 / English
„We must take the lead in the first half.“
A bitter end in Karlsruhe: After 90 entertaining minutes in which both teams sought salvation in attack, Darmstadt suffered a narrow defeat. The final score was 2-1 after a late goal from the home side, following Isac Lidberg's earlier equaliser. After the match, the players were particularly frustrated with the missed opportunities in the first half.
Florian Kohfeldt:
„Congratulations to KSC on their home win. We played an incredibly good game, considering what was possible today. We had to start with five players in unfamiliar positions after Matej Maglica and Sergio Lopez were ruled out in yesterday’s final training session. We had to play with a back three that hadn’t played together before, and especially with two players, Fabian Holland and Kai Klefisch, who don’t usually play in those positions. My special praise goes to Fabi, who did a fantastic job as a left-sided centre-back. We played a superb first half, with good structure on the ball, created scoring opportunities, and controlled the game. We should have taken the lead with the two chances from Marco Richter and Hiroki Akiyama. In the second half, KSC came out stronger after the break, and we eased off a bit. Even after conceding, we showed incredible fighting spirit. In the end, it’s obviously very bitter to lose due to such a late situation. I’m proud of my team, even if that doesn’t lessen the pain today. Of course, we’re disappointed that we’re now mathematically relegated.“ We can no longer reach the top three places. We dropped points at the wrong time of the season. There are multiple reasons for this, which we will address during the summer break. We will give everything we can to finish the season with positive results. Because the fans, the club, and we ourselves deserve that.”
Christian Eichner:
„When I list all the absences in the Darmstadt squad and then see how much game understanding and intelligence they display on the pitch, it’s truly impressive. They’re so passionate about football and do so many things right. Darmstadt dominated the first half and should have taken the lead. We were allowed to stay in the game and then addressed a couple of things at halftime. We’ve been close to getting something to show for it for a long time in recent weeks, but the team is incredibly hardworking, and today we finally finished off our attacks. We like it when the game gets a bit more chaotic. That’s why I’m proud that we won today’s match. Kudos to your team, Flo: you’re a joy to watch, you’ve laid a fantastic foundation.“
Kai Klefisch:
„It feels awful. We just couldn’t bring our power to the pitch again. Of course, you can talk about who was missing today. But I won’t allow any excuses. We were good in the first half, we were good in the spaces. At times, we held onto the ball for too long; we should have moved it faster. KSC offered us those spaces, but we couldn’t exploit them. Up front, we’re perhaps lacking a bit of conviction at the moment, the conviction to put the ball in the back of the net. Nevertheless, I have to say we gave it our all. You can see how exhausted everyone is and how they threw themselves into every challenge. But it just wasn’t enough again today; it’s emblematic of the last few weeks. But we still have two games left, and in those, it’s a matter of giving everything we’ve got.“
Raoul Petretta:
„We should have taken a clear lead in the first half, because then the game would have gone in a different direction. Be more efficient and keep going, it’s that simple. We had a bit less control in the second half, but it’s frustrating that we didn’t take the lead in the first 45 minutes. Regardless of the league table: our job was to get three points, and we didn’t do that. Sure, we had some players out, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse. The players who were available were up to the task; otherwise, they wouldn’t be playing for Darmstadt 98. We could have won with today’s starting eleven, which makes it all the more frustrating.“
Team News: Five Changes in the Team
Darmstadt 98 visit Karlsruher SC on matchday 32 (May 3rd, 1:30 PM). Florian Kohfeldt has made five changes to his starting lineup. Killian Corredor replaces the injured Fraser Hornby, Aleksandar Vukotic comes in for the suspended Patric Pfeiffer, and Fabian Holland starts in place of Matej Maglica, who is sidelined with an ankle injury. Merveille Papela and Niklas Schmidt also join the team, replacing Sergio Lopez and Yosuke Furukawa. In addition to Hornby, Pfeiffer, and Maglica, Darmstadt will also be without the injured Matthias Bader, Fabian Nürnberger, and Luca Marseiler.
Matchday Guide: All Information before KSC Game
Finally, the weekend is here, finally Sunday! On Sunday afternoon (May 3rd, 1:30pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will face Karlsruher SC away. What do the two coaches have to say about the match, who will be refereeing, and where can you watch it if you're not at the stadium? All the important information about the Lilies' 32nd matchday is compiled for you here in "Matchday Guide".
Paul Fernie extends his contract long-term and moves up to a management position.
Continuity in sporting management: SV Darmstadt 98 has extended Paul Fernie's contract early and for the long term. As part of the contract extension, the current sporting director will move into the club's management board and will now serve as managing director of sport.
„You’ve seen horses vomit before.“
Our head coach spoke at the press conference before the away game against Karlsruher SC (May 3rd/1:30pm) about the mental freshness of his team, the course of action for the remaining games and his coaching colleague, whose commitment to KSC will end after six years this season.
Opposition Check: Karlsruher SC
Left hook, 'One hundred and eightyyyyyyy', and hand over the baton. Doesn't sound like football – and that's true. KSC is often associated with professional football, but with the sheer number of titles the club has won, it's worth looking beyond the pitch. Titles from Baden-Württemberg to Rome.
U21: A Herculean effort whilst down to 10 men wasn’t enough
In a rescheduled Lotto Hessenliga match, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team hosted SV Hummetroth at their youth academy on Wednesday evening (April 29th) but unfortunately came away empty-handed. Despite a spirited performance and playing with one man less, the score after 90 minutes was 3-1 in favour of Hummetroth.
Facts & Stats: The top facts about the KSC game
Lilies at the Wildpark! SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC this coming Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) for the 32nd matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. Will Darmstadt's positive record from recent encounters continue? Will Florian Kohfeldt and Isac Lidberg extend their scoring streak against KSC? And will Fabian Schleusener finally stop scoring against SV 98? We've compiled all the facts and figures for you.
Fan Information for the KSC game
SV Darmstadt 98 will be playing away against Karlsruher SC on Sunday (May 3rd/1:30pm) at the Wildpark Stadium for the 32nd matchday. To ensure you are well prepared for your trip to KSC, here is a summary of all the important information for your visit to the stadium.
+++ Relief train to Karlsruhe | Evening match for the U21 team +++
To ensure a smooth and convenient journey to Karlsruhe this weekend, SV 98 is offering a special train service that will transport Lilies fans directly from Darmstadt to Karlsruhe and back. Additionally, SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team will host SV Hummetroth at their home academy this Wednesday evening (April 29th). For more news and updates, check out our usual "Lilien Across the Board" – all the latest news about the club, gathered here for you.
