Derby Week: Darmstadt face off against Eintracht in Bundesliga opener
In recent years, Eintracht Frankfurt have ranked towards the top of German football, even winning the Europa League in 2022. Darmstadt can only boast success in lower-level competitions, however - they are appearing in the Bundesliga for the first time in seven years this season. Apart from rookie euphoria, the desire to take on a bigger and more famous rival will propel Darmstadt forward.
Eintracht is a major club from a major city. Frankfurt is the largest city in Hesse, home to 770,000 people. It is nicknamed Bankfurt because it is the financial capital of Europe. The city centre, an American-style "downtown" with many skyscrapers (which also give the business district its distinctive nickname - 'Mainhattan'), is home to several world-class banking and stock exchange institutions. Frankfurt is also a very important transport hub - Frankfurt Airport is one of the busiest in the world in terms of flights and passengers.
Darmstadt is only 30 kilometres south of Frankfurt, much smaller (160,000 inhabitants) but by no means insignificant. Historically, Darmstadt has been a centre of science and culture. It is home to the Technical University (founded in 1877) and two other universities. Darmstadt has around 30,000 students during the year. The city is also home to many research institutions, such as the European Space Operations Centre. Darmstadt is also known for its Art Nouveau architecture. The so-called Darmstadt Art Colony - a collection of Art Nouveau buildings dating from 1899 to 1914 - on Mathildenhohe is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
However, both clubs hold the greatest grudge against another team from the region - Kickers Offenbach. Eintracht's big rivals are also 1. FSV Mainz 05 (whom they meet regularly in the Bundesliga), and historically also 1. FC Kaiserslautern or city rival FSV Frankfurt.
However, the competitive and rival relationship between Eintracht and Darmstadt definitely exists and may grow stronger. Especially if Darmstadt manage to retain their Bundesliga position in the 2023/24 season. Despite the odds, the two clubs are evenly matched.
Eagles don't like Lilies
Over the last few decades, Eintracht and Darmstadt have really only competed sporadically. The exception was the period between 2015 and 2017. It was in 2015 that the Lilies, as Darmstadt's footballers are nicknamed after the main symbol of the city and the club, won promotion to Germany's top competition. In the very first Hessian derby in the Bundesliga in the autumn of 2015, Darmstadt managed to rob the nest of Frankfurt's Eagles ('Die Adler' - the nickname also corresponds to the emblem of the city and the club). In the second game of the season in Darmstadt, the Eagles inflicted defeat on their regional rivals.
However, Darmstadt, as newcomers, pipped the giants of Frankfurt in the 2015/2016 season. Only two points separated the two in the final league table. This meant that the Lilies remained in the Bundesliga thanks to their 14th-place finish, while the Eagles, in 16th place, had to fight for their top-flight status in a playoff. Eintracht managed it against Nuremberg and so the Hessian derby reappeared in the Bundesliga calendar in the 2016/2017 season.
In the first meeting of forces, the Lilies again beat Eintracht, this time at home. The Eagles then gained revenge in the rematch (for the first time, the derby ended with a difference of more than one goal - 2:0). This time around though, with only 25 points, Darmstadt were relegated back down to 2. Bundesliga.
Signs of a comeback
Darmstadt and Eintracht then did not meet again for a long time. The rivalry between the two fan camps spilt over into youth team matches. In February 2023, however, the Lilies and the Eagles were drawn together in the German Cup (DFB Pokal).
The scoring was opened in the sixth minute by probably the biggest star of the current Frankfurt squad, Frenchman Randal Kolo Muani. Darmstadt turned the game around with two goals in the 29th and 31st minutes from Austrian Mathias Honsak.
Frankfurt then regained the lead by the 62nd minute. Darmstadt hit the bar following several attempts to equalise, and after another chance, they thought they had levelled it at 3:3. Unfortunately, it was disallowed for offside.
In the end, the Eagles showed why they were the favourites, with Kolo Muani wrapping up the game in the dying minutes. Eintracht went on to reach the DFB Pokal final. However, they were not able to get past RB Leipzig.
Starting with a derby
The Lilies of Darmstadt capped their excellent 2022/23 season with a direct promotion to the Bundesliga. Now, they will be looking to put down firmer roots in the top tier as they travel to the ground of their rivals in their opening match.
Will the Lilies be able to blossom in Frankfurt or will the home Eagles rain down on them? The latter scenario is more likely, but Darmstadt's David has shown several times in the past that they can take on the Goliath of Frankfurt.
Other derbies of the week:
Saturday, August 19th
England - League Two (4th League)
Sutton United vs. AFC Wimbledon
Thameslink derby
The match between Sutton United and AFC Wimbledon is a new derby. AFC Wimbledon is a young club, founded in 2002 by fans of the famous Wimbledon FC, which folded due to financial problems. Until the previous season, Sutton United and AFC Wimbledon had not met in the same competition. The current season is the second in which both teams are playing in League Two. Also because the two clubs have not been direct competitors, it is (so far) a friendly derby. However, the rivalry between the two neighbours could grow very quickly. This derby is named after the main train network connecting London to its suburbs. Wimbledon and Sutton are two stops on the Thameslink lying right next to each other.
Sunday, August 20th
Netherlands - Eredivisie
Overijsselse derby (Overijssel derby)
The match between Twente and PEC Zwolle is a battle of the capital and largest city of the Dutch province of Overijsselse. Zwolle is the capital and Enschede, where Twente is based, has a larger population. Twente are trying to break into the Europa Conference group stage, while Zwolle are focused on a successful re-entry into the Eredivisie, where they have returned after a one-year hiatus. Another newcomer to the Dutch top flight this season is Heracles Almelo, also a club from the Overijsselse region.
Luxembourg - National Division
Jeunesse Esch vs. CS Fola Esch
Derby d'Esch (Esch derby)
Esch is the second largest city in Luxembourg, home to 37,000 people and two football clubs, which are among the most historically successful within the small Grand Duchy. Jeunesse Esch hold a record 29 titles (but last reigned in 2010), while Fola Esch have 8 Luxembourg championships to their name (the last one in 2021). Jeunesse has (at least in the Esch region) the most supporters, while Fola is a club that, although it doesn't have a large fan base, has the strong financial backing of its owners behind it. However, the rivalry between the two teams is directly proportional to the size of Luxembourg football. The two rivals and their camps have rather friendly banter, but that doesn't mean they don't want to beat each other.
Chile - Copa Chile (Cup)
Colo-Colo vs. CD Universidad Catolica
Clásico Albo-Cruzado (Clásico of the "Whites" against the "Crusaders" - after the nicknames of both teams)
In Chile, two big clubs and great rivals from the capital Santiago - Colo-Colo and Universidad Catolica - meet in the quarter-finals of the domestic cup. Their rivalry is not based on a dispute between two huge camps of supporters, as in the case of the Chilean Superclasico between Colo-Colo and Club Universidad de Chile, nor on historical antagonism, as in the case of the derby called Clasico Universitario between Universidad de Chile and Universidad Catolica. The rivalry is first and foremost a sporting one. Both clubs are among the strongest in the country. The quarter-finals of the Copa Chile are played over two legs. The first match finished 0-0, the return leg is on Sunday.
USA - Major League Soccer
New York Red Bulls vs. DC United
Atlantic Cup
One of the biggest rivalries that exist between clubs in American Major League Soccer is the rivalry between the New York Red Bulls and DC United. This rivalry has come to be known as the Atlantic Cup, referring both to the fact that the clubs are from the east coast of the United States, which is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean, but also to the fact that the winner of this competition actually receives a physical trophy. The rivalry between the sports clubs from New York and Washington D.C. also exists in American football (NY Giants vs. Washington Commanders), and in hockey (NY Rangers vs. Capitals). Naturally, it has also developed within MLS soccer. In Sunday's game (Monday morning for European fans) it will not only be about the Atlantic Cup but also about the important points in the race for the playoffs.
Monday, August 21st
Romania - Liga I
Universitatea Cluj vs. CFR Cluj
Derbiul Clujului (Cluj Derby)
Cluj is the third largest city in Romania and the capital of the Transylvania region. It is home to two clubs with a great tradition dating back to the early 1920s. CFR Cluj was founded as a railwaymen's club (CFR stands for Romanian Railways), Universitatea is originally a university club, as the name suggests. Although both clubs have gone through many crises in their history, after Universitatea's promotion in 2022, they meet again in the Romanian 1st League. CFR Cluj is the more successful club in the derby, but Universitatea have not entered the new league season badly - they have a 1-3-1 record from 5 matches and are only a point behind their more famous rival (although CFR Cluj has a game in hand).
