Opponent Analysis: SV Darmstadt 98

RBL welcomes Darmstadt!

On Saturday at 3:30 p.m. RB Leipzig will host bottom of the table SV Darmstadt 98 in the Red Bull Arena. The “Lilien” are in last place with 13 points, but are only four points from the relegation playoff spot and therefore still have every chance of staying in the league.

It will be a tough game for RBL as the guests will be determined to upset the big favourites. For our team, it will be about building on the 4-1 win in Bochum and getting three more points towards Champions League qualification.

We take a look at form and team news!

Analysis of Darmstadt

Long wait for a win

SV Darmstadt 98 were promoted to the Bundesliga last year, finishing second in the 2. Bundesliga. In the top division, they have only won two in 24 games (4-2 against Werder Bremen and 2-1 at FC Augsburg ). But that was last October. Since then, the “Lilies” have been struggled to find their next win.

Recent struggles at home

Last week, Darmstadt suffered a painful 6-0 home defeat against FC Augsburg. Afterwards, coach Torsten Lieberknecht spoke of his pleasure for the fans reaction, who saw off the team with encouraging applause.”That’s not everyday,” said the coach, who is of course hoping for a positive reaction from his team.

DARMSTADT’S LAST FIVE GAMES

0-6 against FC Augsburg (Matchday 24)
1-1 at Werder Bremen (Matchday 23)
1-2 against VfB Stuttgart (Matchday 22)
0-0 at Borussia Mönchengladbach (Matchday 21)
0-2 against Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Matchday 20)

Darmstadt Team News #RBLSVD

Lilies three at the back

SV Darmstadt 98 usually deploy a three-man defence, with a five-man midfield in front of them, and a two-man attack. Rarely does the coach opt for a four-man defence.

Important offensive player missing

The Hessians have struggled without Marvin Mehlem, who was a crucial piece of the puzzle for the team in attacking midfield. Unfortunately, he has broken his fibula for the second time this season and, in the worst case scenario, is at risk of missing the rest of the season.

Injury News

Marvin Mehlem (broken fibula)
Matthias Bader (torn muscle fiber)
Clemens Riedel (broken ankle)
Fraser Horny (bone edema)

THE HEAD COACH

Torsten Lieberknecht took over as coach at SV Darmstadt 98 in the 2021/22 season. He replaced Markus Anfang, who had moved to SV Werder Bremen Under Lieberknecht’s leadership, the “Lilien” quickly developed into a top team in the 2. Bundesliga. In the first season, they only missed out on promotion due to a worse goal difference compared to Hamburger SV .
At the end of the second season, the Lieberknecht team went straight up to the Bundesliga automatically. And although Darmstadt are in a relegation scrap, the players continue to trust the 50-year-old, who is very popular with the fans. Lieberknecht is a down-to-earth and level-headed guy who the club would like to work with in the long term. This is also reflected in his current contract: he is committed to the Hessians until 2027.

COACH FACTS

Name: Torsten Lieberknecht
Date of Birth: August 1, 1973 in Bad Dürkheim
Previous Roles: MSV Duisburg, Eintracht Braunschweig

Darmstadt started the last game with this team

Schuhe – Müller, Gjasula, Maglica – Justvan, Franjic, Holland, Karic – Pfeiffer – Polter, Skarke

RB LEIPZIG v SV DARMSTADT 98

H2H

6 wins, 0 draws, 1 defeat – 13-3 goals
3 home wins, 3 away wins
Top scorers: Lois Openda, Marcel Sabitzer, Naby Keita, Emil Forsberg (2 goals each)
Biggest win: 4-0 on April 1, 2017 (goals: 2x Keita, Forsberg, Orban)

Highlights from the previous game

Video

How to watch RB LEIPZIG VS. SV DARMSTADT 98

The game will be broadcast live in Germany on Sky from 3:30 p.m. on Saturday. To watch, you need a subscription to Sky. You can also follow the game free of charge on our RBL app – including live audio broadcast on Bullenfunk. We are also live on our social media channels Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, as well as on our WhatsApp channel. There you will get all the information and exclusive content about the match.