Darmstadt before the season finale: This is how SVD stands before the duel with Paderborn

SV Darmstadt 98 goes into the last matchday of the 2025/26 season with a clear scenario: On Sunday, 17.05.2026 (3:30 p.m.), SC Paderborn 07 comes to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for the 34th matchday. In the table, the two teams are separated by seven points – Darmstadt is fifth, Paderborn fourth. For the Lilies, this means a direct comparison with their immediate table neighbor at the end – and at the same time the chance to correct the recently shaky final phase in sporting terms.

The starting position: two teams with similar offensive records, different points tallies

After 33 games, Darmstadt stands at 52 points with a record of 13 wins, 13 draws, and 7 losses. The goal difference of 57:43 fits a season in which Darmstadt reliably created chances and goals offensively, but defensively did not always appear stable enough to consistently get maximum results from close games.

Paderborn arrives with 59 points, has 17 wins, 8 draws, and 8 losses, and has also scored 57 goals (goal difference 57:45). The fact that both teams are level in goals scored, but the points tally is significantly different, shows the core of this duel: It is less about whether Darmstadt can score goals – but rather whether the Lilies can control a game against a direct competitor this time to the end.

Darmstadt's form curve: five games without a win, too many goals conceded in crucial phases

The decisive finding before the season finale is Darmstadt's recent run. In the last five league games, there was no win:

• 1:1 at Preußen Münster (10.05.2026)
• 1:2 at Karlsruher SC (03.05.2026)
• 3:3 against Elversberg (25.04.2026)
• 2:3 at Greuther Fürth (19.04.2026)
• 0:2 against Hannover 96 (11.04.2026)

This sequence does not read like a one-off slip, but like a pattern: Darmstadt conceded eleven goals in these five games and picked up only two points. Even in games with their own offensive output – such as the 3:3 against Elversberg or the 2:3 in Fürth – the yield was lacking in the end. For a team that was able to keep up at the top for long stretches of the season, these are the typical warning signs of a final phase in which the balance between risk and security is no longer consistently right.

What this means for the Paderborn game: Darmstadt can play open games – but game control is needed

Darmstadt's season repeatedly had games that reflected the character of the team well: high-scoring, fast-paced, often open.

• 3:3 against Elversberg
• 3:3 at VfL Bochum
• 4:2 against Greuther Fürth

Darmstadt also showed in their own arena how clear it can get – the biggest home win was a 4:0 against 1. FC Kaiserslautern.

This is exactly where the ambivalence lies before the duel with Paderborn: Darmstadt can force and go along with open games. Against a direct table neighbor, however, it will depend on whether the Lilies can not only win phases but also control the overall game – especially in the moments when too many goals were conceded recently and leads or good phases of play were not "brought over the line".

Paderborn as a benchmark – and a finale with framework conditions

The fact that Paderborn arrives as fourth in the table makes the match a direct sporting benchmark. For Darmstadt, it is the last picture of this season: Either a performance succeeds that confirms the solid overall record (52 points after 33 games) – or the recent trend continues.

The framework is also clear organizationally: The match is scheduled for Sunday, 3:30 p.m.; fan information was published in advance from Paderborn, including a note about expected high traffic and the recommendation to arrive early.

All in all, Darmstadt goes into this finale with a good season base, but noticeably burdened form. Against Paderborn, it will be decided whether the Lilies can find stability and maturity in results one more time at the end – or whether the recent games remain the defining pattern of the final weeks.