Darmstadt 98 can safely be counted among the most ambitious clubs in the 2. Bundesliga. In the 2022/2023 season, the Lilies finished second in this division and were promoted to the Bundesliga. However the voyage to the top tier of German football proved short-lived. Darmstadt were relegated from the bottom of the table and had to adapt again to the realities of the second-tier division. Having finished 12th in the season before last, the Lilies' real ambitions for promotion flashed in the previous edition of the 2. Bundesliga. However Darmstadt squandered the decisive months and finished last among the five contenders actually fighting for Bundesliga places. The Lilies began the new season not in a good way. First they had to come back from two goals down against Holstein Kiel to salvage a draw in the opening round. In the second match of the season Darmstadt performed even worse. In Dresden they conceded an early goal, after which the opponent defended effectively. The Lilies secured their first win of the season in the German Cup, where they defeated the local club from the city of Jena. One of the reasons for the team's early-season slips is the departure of all useful forwards during the transfer window. Darmstadt were left by Isak Lidberg, Fraser Hornby and Kilian Corredor, who scored 33 goals between them last season. The players who came to replace them are not as effective. Hannover 96 could boast a stable presence in Germany's top flight as recently as ten years ago, but since 2016 it has first become a yo-yo between divisions, and then firmly established itself in the 2. Bundesliga. In recent years the Reds have been trying to return to Germany's elite league and were close to achieving it last season, but finished fourth. The three teams finishing ahead of Hannover are already playing in the Bundesliga today. The Reds started the season no less poorly than their upcoming opponent. If the defeat to Wolfsburg can be explained by the strength of the opponent, the 1-3 defeat in Cottbus gives reason for reflection. The last trip to Darmstadt for Hannover ended in a 2-0 victory, which under the current circumstances allows them to hope at least to avoid defeat.