2. Bundesliga Topspiel preview: SV Darmstadt vs. Greuther Fürth | OneFootball

SV Darmstadt

Darmstadt have enjoyed an excellent start to their 2. Bundesliga campaign. They sit fourth in the table, just one point off third place, and have suffered only one defeat in their last eight matches. Die Lilien have every reason to feel quietly optimistic about mounting a genuine promotion push.

Before the international break, Darmstadt claimed a superb 3-2 away win in Hannover, heading into the pause with momentum firmly on their side. Hiroki Akiyama struck in stoppage time to secure a vital victory over a fellow promotion contender.

A major factor behind their rise has been their potent attack, particularly the form of forward Isac Lidberg. The Swede shares the league lead in goals with nine and will see Saturday’s matchup as another opportunity to add to his tally against a struggling Fürth defence.

Head coach Florian Kohfeldt has made clear the respect he holds for the visitors:

“I expect us to have more possession, but I have great respect for their individual quality. I believe Thomas Kleine has drawn the right conclusions from the games. We are very wary and have great respect for them.”

Team news: 

Matej Maglica is a doubt with a thigh issue. Jean-Paul Boëtius returned late from international duty and is unlikely to feature. Fabian Nürnberger has returned to training and is available again.

Greuther Fürth

Fürth have struggled for consistency in Thomas Kleine’s first full season at the helm. Sitting 14th with just one win in their last seven, Die Kleeblatt face significant work if they are to pull away from the bottom three.

Despite their recent difficulties, Kleine’s side did manage to gather some much-needed momentum before the break. In a match seen as a must-win, Fürth snatched a dramatic 1-0 victory over Münster thanks to Jannik Dehm’s stunning 95th-minute strike, a moment they hope can serve as a springboard heading into Saturday evening.

One of Fürth’s main issues has been their leaky back line. They have conceded 30 goals in 12 matches - the worst defensive record in the division - a concern Kleine must address quickly if they are to keep their survival hopes intact.

Kleine underlined his intentions ahead of the trip:

“We won against Münster and want to confirm that in Darmstadt. We go into every game to win it - and that's how we want to perform on Saturday."

Team news: 

Sacha Bansé, Noah König, Ingi Bjarnason and Marco John are all sidelined through injury. Philipp Ziereis returns to the squad after serving a yellow-card suspension.

H-2-H record

Darmstadt won both meetings last season, 5-1 away and 1-0 at home. Fürth have not won in Darmstadt since 2007, while Florian Kohfeldt boasts a perfect record of four wins from four against them in his career.

Predicted lineups

SV Darmstadt (4-2-3-1): Schuhen (GK) - Lopez, Pfeiffer, Vukotić, Holland - Akiyama, Klefisch - Corredor, Hornby, Marseiler - Lidberg 

Greuther Fürth (4-2-3-1): Prufrock (GK) - Reich, Ziereis, Münz, Abrangao - Olesen, Green - Klaus, Hrgota, Keller - Futkeu