SV Darmstadt 98 reach 2nd round away at Carl Zeiss Jena; 2-1 victory seals progression

SV Darmstadt 98 reach 2nd round away at Carl Zeiss Jena; 2-1 victory seals progression

The feeling of victory – SV Darmstadt 1898 e.V.

First home win for the U21’s

SV Darmstadt 98’s U21 team defeated FC Gießen 3–0 (1–0). After five matchdays, Patrick Kurt’s squad remains unbeaten, having celebrated their first home win and kept a clean sheet for the first time.

Transfer News: Maglica Changes to Türkiye

Matej Maglica’s time with the Lilies comes to an end after a total of 81 competitive matches. The 27-year-old centre-back is moving to the Turkish top-flight club Kocaelispor.

„A cup battle that we embraced and won“

The Lilies have reached the second round after a hard-fought cup match in Jena. We’ve rounded up the post-match reactions for you.

Lilies Reach 2nd Round of the Cup

SV 98 has secured a spot in the next round of the DFB-Pokal. The Lilies won 2–1 (2–1) away at FC Carl Zeiss Jena. Milan Smit (11th minute) and Lance Duijvestijn (41st minute) sealed the victory against the Regionalliga side.

Team News: Starting Debut for Merx

Cup action for the Lilies. In the first round of the DFB-Pokal, SV 98 are away at FC Carl Zeiss Jena (August 23, 3:30pm). Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting lineup compared to the match in Dresden: Manolo Merx starts in place of Yosuke Furukawa, and Raoul Petretta starts instead of Florian Kleinhansl. Hiroki Akiyama is missing from the squad following a relapse due to illness.

Matchday Guide: All Information before the Jena Game

Cup action awaits! On Sunday (August 23, 3:30pm), the Lilies kick off their campaign in the first round of the DFB-Pokal. The trip takes them to the ad hoc arena at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld in Jena—Thuringia’s “City of Light.” What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match? And where can you follow the action? As always, we’ve gathered all the key information about the game against Carl Zeiss Jena for you in “Matchday Guide.”

Opposition Check: Carl Zeiss Jena

Floodlights illuminate the pitch at Düsseldorf’s Rheinstadion as the FC Carl Zeiss Jena players step onto the field on May 13, 1981. Behind them lies a European campaign that has long since made football history: coach Hans Meyer’s team had already overcome AS Roma, Valencia CF, Newport County, and Benfica on their journey through the European Cup Winners’ Cup. Now, just 90 minutes stand between them and ultimate triumph. Waiting on the other side is Dinamo Tbilisi. It is the biggest European night in the club’s history—and even though it ends in a 2 - 1 defeat, this extraordinary journey remains inextricably linked to FC Carl Zeiss Jena to this day.

Statement on fan criticism of VAR

It was announced yesterday, Thursday (August 20th), that organised fan groups across Germany are planning major protests against the video assistant referee (VAR) during the first round of the cup competition. The SV 98 fan base has also stated that it will participate in these protests during the Lilies match against Carl Zeiss Jena. SV Darmstadt 98 fully understands the reasons behind the protests and is in complete agreement with the views expressed on many points.

Ahead of the cup match against FC Carl Zeiss Jena (August 23, 3:30pm), Florian Kohfeldt answered questions from the assembled journalists at the press conference. We have summarised the key statements made by the Lilien coach prior to the first round of the DFB-Pokal.

Facts & Figures: Key Stats about the Jena Match

On Sunday, SVD faces FC Carl Zeiss Jena in the first round of the 2026

27 DFB-Pokal season. This marks the first-ever meeting between the two teams in this competition. You can find all further facts and figures regarding the match here.

Fan information for the cup match in Jena

On Sunday (August 23rd), we will be playing away against FC Carl Zeiss Jena at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld. Together with you, we aim to advance to the next round of the DFB-Pokal. As always, here is all the organisational information regarding the cup match in Jena:

A forum for meeting and getting to know one another

For many years, the Lilien sponsors’ summer party has been a fixture on the SV Darmstadt 98 summer calendar. For this year’s event, the club headed to the Ried region—specifically to the Coreum in Stockstadt am Rhein. Together with more than 400 guests, the Lilien enjoyed an evening that was both informative and entertaining, and which flew by in a flash.

It was a hard-fought effort that SV 98 ultimately managed to bring to a successful conclusion in Jena. The 2–1 victory in the first round of the DFB-Pokal not only secured their progression in the competition but also delivered that long-awaited winning feeling. Here is our analysis of the victory.

The 2–1 goal: Lance Duijvestijn’s strike may not have been the day’s most beautiful, but it was certainly the most important. Less than two minutes after the hosts had scored a spectacular equaliser, the Lilien provided the perfect response. „It was important that we regained the lead after the equaliser,“ reflected Milan Smit, who had set up his compatriot in the 41st minute. Duijvestijn powered past his marker and scored from a tight angle to make it 2–1 to the South Hessian side.

In doing so, the Dutchman instantly dampened the euphoria that had erupted at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld following the equaliser. Although the match remained tense right up to the final whistle, that decisive goal—scored just before halftime—massively reduced the likelihood of a cup upset.

The feeling of victory: SV 98 had gone eleven competitive matches without a win, spanning across seasons—a statistic frequently discussed within the Lilies circle in recent days. „I’m glad that issue is behind us,“ Florian Kohfeldt said, adding: „It was the third competitive match for a newly assembled squad following a complete overhaul. It’s good to be able to build on wins.“

Especially since the victory in Jena secured a spot in the second round of the cup —another very positive takeaway. „That’s what mattered today,“ said Marcel Schuhen; while he understandably could have done without the tension that lasted until the final whistle, the manner of their progression ultimately didn’t matter to him. Upsets and tight matches against lower-league teams are part and parcel of the first round of the cup, and this year saw a few favourites stumble as well. All the more reason to celebrate the fact that the Lilien have now advanced from the first round for the third consecutive year.

Ultimately a commanding performance: There is no question that the Lilien’s opening ten minutes were far from good. The goal they conceded—however spectacular it was—could also have been prevented in the build-up. Yet, beyond that, the South Hessian side put in a solid defensive display in Jena, allowing the hosts only one dangerous shot after the break. Even during the typically tense closing stages of such a cup battle, Kohfeldt’s team defended with focus and „saw the narrow lead home in a controlled manner,“ as kicker summarised it.

Attacking plays in the first half: What might sound negative at first—and will be addressed again in the „What didn’t go well“ section—actually has a positive side: the Lilien really should have put the game to bed before the break. Manolo Merx missed a chance one-on-one with the keeper (14′), Lance Duijvestijn saw a shot blocked (28′) and was later denied by the impressive Liesegang, while Butzen cleared a Vukotic header off the line (36′). „We created several scoring chances through counter-movements—something we’ve worked on for a long time,“ Kohfeldt summarised. Although the head coach was frustrated by the missed opportunities, he also noted the progress his team showed in their attacking play before the halftime whistle. Yet, as Kohfeldt made clear: „We still have plenty of work to do.“

The first 10 minutes: „We didn’t settle into the game well; we lost possession too often and failed to win second balls,“ Milan Smit frankly admitted after the final whistle. Errors in their own build-up play had invited the hosts into the game during the opening phase. „We lost possession four times leading up to Jena’s first four attempts on goal. That shouldn’t happen to us,“ said Kohfeldt, whose captain also criticised the „simple misplaced passes“ in the opening minutes. Smit’s goal sparked a turnaround after those initial struggles; following it, the Lilien enjoyed „more control and possession“—a fact recognised by more than just the goalscorer himself.

Efficiency: „We could have swung the game in our favour early on,“ reflected Florian Kohfeldt, noting the numerous chances (see „What went well“) his team squandered during the first half. It was a conclusion Milan Smit fully endorsed: „We should have scored more goals in the first half and effectively decided the match then and there.“

„We missed that opportunity, so the game remained undecided right to the end,“ Schuhen rightly summarised, particularly since his team failed to create any further major chances after the break. This observation leads us to the final point in this category: the attacking play in the second half. Florian Kohfeldt: „The second half wasn’t good because we chose the wrong approach. We sat deep and played long balls.“ This resulted in a rather sluggish second period; while the Lilien remained defensively solid, their attacking play lacked the fluidity and patterns that had created their chances before the break. We therefore conclude with the head coach’s overall assessment, summarising the 90 minutes in Jena as follows: „I am satisfied with parts of this game and glad that we’ve reached the second round.“

“I am satisfied with parts of this game and glad that we reached the second round.”