Darmstadt 98 falters in the promotion race: The weeks of truth begin

Three matchdays before the end of the season, SV Darmstadt 98 is still fully in the race for the top spots in the 2. Bundesliga – but with a form curve that has recently clearly pointed downward. Before the away game at Karlsruher SC, the main focus is less on the basic position in the table and more on the question of whether Darmstadt can stop the negative run in time and secure their own starting position with points.

After 31 matchdays of the 2025/2026 season, Darmstadt is in fifth place with 51 points. The record: 13 wins, 12 draws and 6 losses with 55:40 goals and a goal difference of +15. In numbers, this is a season that speaks for the top third of the table – but in the current phase no longer radiates the stability needed for a final sprint towards the promotion places.

Fifth place – but winless in five games

The recent results explain why Darmstadt is under pressure despite good overall data: In the past five league games there has been no win, instead three losses and two draws.

The series at a glance:

• 1:1 against FC Schalke 04 (21.03.2026)
• 1:2 at Arminia Bielefeld (04.04.2026)
• 0:2 against Hannover 96 (11.04.2026)
• 2:3 at Greuther Fürth (19.04.2026)
• 3:3 against SV 07 Elversberg (25.04.2026)

Especially the 3:3 against Elversberg is a game that reflects the current situation well: Darmstadt scores goals, appears offensively competitive – but pays for defensive inaccuracies or phases of the game without control with lost points. In the final phase of a season, this pattern is particularly risky, because draws in the promotion race are often not enough to make up ground.

Strong offensively, vulnerable defensively: Why the final sprint will be so difficult

The season has shown how high the team's performance ceiling can be. The biggest home win was a 4:0 against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, the biggest away win a 3:0 at Fortuna Düsseldorf. The high-scoring games – including the 3:3 against Elversberg, the 3:3 at VfL Bochum and the 4:2 against Greuther Fürth – also underline that Darmstadt can keep games open and play with intensity.

The catch: These games also tell the story of a team that does not always have control over the course of the game and risk management. 40 goals conceded after 31 matches is not a knockout criterion for a contender for the top spots – but in combination with the recent results, it becomes clear how quickly a game can tip if the balance between their own offense and security is not right. This is exactly where the decisive adjustment lies in the season finale: not less courage going forward, but more reliability in the phases when a game needs to be "managed".

The table also increases the pressure. Ahead of Darmstadt are Schalke 04 (64 points), SC Paderborn 07 (58), Hannover 96 (57) and Elversberg (56). Darmstadt thus remains within reach, but has recently missed the opportunity to close the gap to the top.

Karlsruhe as a benchmark – and a remaining schedule without a safety net

On Sunday, 03.05.2026, Darmstadt plays away at Karlsruher SC (kick-off: 1:30 p.m.). KSC is currently in ninth place – a different region of the table, but by no means an easy task. For Darmstadt, the match is above all a benchmark for whether the team can earn back the points in a tight away game that have been left behind in recent weeks.

After that, on 10.05.2026 (1:30 p.m.) comes the away game at SC Preußen Münster, before the season ends on 17.05.2026 (3:30 p.m.) with the home game against SC Paderborn 07. At the latest with Paderborn, another opponent from the top group awaits in the direct season finale – a scenario that is both an opportunity and a risk for Darmstadt: Those who do not score points beforehand have little room for error at the end. But those who stabilize in time can once again have a decisive influence on the top spots in the finale.

Darmstadt 98 is still well positioned, but the recent run has turned a comfortable starting position into a task. The next three games will decide whether fifth place remains a solid base for an attack on the top – or whether the team will end its strong season without taking the final step towards the top spots.