SV Darmstadt 98 vs Energie Cottbus: Bottom Against Seventh
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SV Darmstadt 98 face Energie Cottbus in 2. Bundesliga action on Saturday, 10 October 2026, at Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor in Darmstadt. The hosts sit 18th in the division with four points from six matches, while the visitors arrive in seventh place with 14 goals scored.
Darmstadt enter 18th with Marseiler and Papela out
Darmstadt have lost four of their last five matches, most recently suffering a 1-5 defeat at VfL Wolfsburg on 18 September 2026. Their only win in that sequence was a 2-1 home victory over Arminia Bielefeld on 11 September 2026. Across their opening six fixtures, Darmstadt have scored five goals and conceded 13, producing an average of 1.10 expected goals per game while allowing 1.79. Squad options are depleted with Luca Marseiler and Merveille Papela out through injury, and Fabian Nürnberger doubtful. Lee Ho-jae is their top scorer this season across all competitions with two goals.
Cottbus bring 14 goals and open encounters
Energie Cottbus have seen frequent scoring at both ends of the pitch, recording 14 goals scored and 13 conceded in their opening six matches. Over their last five games with chance data, they average 1.94 expected goals created and 2.26 allowed per match. Recent results include an eight-goal thriller in a 4-4 draw away to VfL Wolfsburg on 5 September 2026, followed by a 3-0 away win against Karlsruher SC on 13 September and a 1-1 home draw with FC St. Pauli on 20 September. Top scorer Tolcay Ciğerci has four goals this season in all competitions. Cottbus travel without Erik Engelhardt and Julian Guttau, who are both sidelined through injury.
Our model leans narrowly towards a SV Darmstadt 98 win
Our model leans narrowly towards a SV Darmstadt 98 win. Despite sitting bottom of the table, Darmstadt hold a balanced home record at Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor with one win, one draw, and one defeat, conceding four goals in Darmstadt compared to nine on their travels. Cottbus have also split their away record with one win, one draw, and one defeat, but their concession rate of 2.26 expected goals per match over recent fixtures presents Darmstadt with chances to find the net.
