SV Darmstadt 98 sit 18th in the 2. Bundesliga table heading into Matchday 5, having taken just one point from their opening four matches. Three consecutive defeats have followed their solitary draw of the season, with the side having scored twice and conceded seven in those four outings. Arminia Bielefeld arrive at the Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor in 10th place, three points ahead of their hosts.
Bielefeld's recent form makes for more comfortable reading. They have collected five points from their last five matches, a run that includes a 3-0 victory over Energie Cottbus and a 2-2 draw with FC St. Pauli. Their goals record across four matches stands at seven scored and eight conceded.
Darmstadt's form picture is notably bleaker. One point from five matches, their only positive result during that period being a 2-2 draw with Holstein Kiel, tells its own story. Defeats to Kaiserslautern, Hannover 96, Dynamo Dresden and Karlsruher SC have compounded their position at the foot of the table.
The head-to-head record between these two sides offers recent reference points. When the sides met in April 2026, Bielefeld won 2-1. Before that, a November 2025 fixture at Darmstadt ended 2-2.
With 18 teams in the 2. Bundesliga this season, Darmstadt's position in the bottom two and Bielefeld's place in mid-table underline the contrasting situations both clubs find themselves in as Matchday 5 arrives. Kick-off at the Merck-Stadion am Bollenfalltor is at 16:30 UTC on Friday, 11 September 2026.