On Wednesday (October 29th/8:45pm), SV Darmstadt 98 will host FC Schalke 04. We have summarised the most important information from the pre-match press conference for you.
Personnel update: Fabian Nürnberger is still out. All other players are fit to play.
For me, games have no hierarchy or priority. Therefore, Isac’s absence from the league clash against Schalke wasn’t a precautionary measure. He didn’t get on the bus on Thursday because he simply wasn’t feeling well after the intense training. He then took a two-day break and trained individually. Now he’s feeling better. As of now, I expect him to be in the starting lineup on Wednesday. As for Kai, I decided to spare him the trip to Schalke because the three games combined would have been too much for him. However, Kai is an option for Wednesday—even for the starting lineup.
Paul Will was an absolutely positive presence in the Schalke game. He brought a lot of energy, especially in combination with Mey Papela. He also contributed football-wise. Nevertheless, he was out for 14 months, but he handled those 30 minutes very well. Therefore, a start in the starting lineup is certainly unlikely, but a similar or even longer appearance is possible.
Bartosz did his job defensively at Schalke. However, we couldn’t get him involved offensively. It seems difficult to judge him based on that. He still enjoys a very high standing with me and will certainly be someone who gets playing time tomorrow.
Generally, a home game at the Bölle stadium generates a great deal of anticipation. Wednesday’s game is a special one. It’s the first time in a while that the Lilies have played a cup home game – and at 8:45pm, it’s against a truly historic club. Two historic German clubs will be meeting in a 50-50 match. The league game already showed that. So, there are all the ingredients for a great cup night.
Additionally, the cup has enormous significance for me. I’m absolutely in love with this competition. We’ve had some really great cup games with the Lilies. We’re all highly motivated, incredibly excited, and want to put on a great cup fight with our fans—and that’s perhaps the difference from Friday—with lots of energy and deliver a really great cup battle, and then leave the game with a positive result. The cup is simply a great competition. And we want to advance.
Schalke will play very aggressively and actively here against us as well. In this respect, they’re not much different between home and away games. We, on the other hand, have to be more determined with the ball. We have to have more confidence in attacking the spaces we want to attack. We had a few breakthroughs against Schalke. But then we have to have the courage to push forward and dominate the game ourselves. We didn’t manage that with the ball against Schalke. But that’s our goal, no matter where we play.
Like Schalke, we watched the game closely. I didn’t think we were bad defensively. Schalke only had two chances in the game – one from a set piece and one from our goal kick. Almost nothing happened from open play. It’s still obvious that we didn’t create enough chances for our standards. Perhaps that had something to do with Isac’s absence, but not exclusively. It’s more to do with the way we attack. And we need to work on that. That’s our main focus for Wednesday’s game, without changing anything else.
On Sunday, the Lilies face a challenge in Baden: for the 8th matchday, SV Darmstadt 98 travel to take on Karlsruher SC. At the pre-match press conference, our head coach discussed the squad situation, the qualities of the opposition, and the team's motivation to get back to winning ways on the road.
On Sunday (October 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. KSC has a history that extends well beyond the confines of German football: the club from Baden once caused a stir on the European stage, writing a chapter that is still remembered today. But how did KSC manage to step into the international spotlight, and what made this success so special?
The next away match is coming up: this Sunday (October 18th, 1:30pm), the Lilien will visit Karlsruher SC for the 8th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga. As always, you can find all the essential information regarding travel and your visit to the stadium in the fan guidelines.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here: