Lee Ho-jae opened his scoring account in his official debut wearing the Darmstadt (SV Darmstadt 98) jersey.

Bundesliga 2 Opener: Pulls One Back After Coming Off the Bench

In the 2026–27 Bundesliga 2 season opener held on the 8th (local time) at Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, Darmstadt's home ground, Lee Ho-jae started the match on the bench. With his team trailing by two goals conceded in the first half, he was brought on in the 71st minute (15th minute of the second half) as a substitute for Finn Lakenmacher.

It took just 16 minutes after his introduction. Receiving a pass from Kai Klepisht in the right side of the penalty area, Lee Ho-jae unleashed a powerful right-footed shot to pull one back. It was his first official goal on the European stage.

Spurred by Lee's goal, Darmstadt shifted the momentum and, in the 86th minute (41st minute of the second half), Aleksandar Vukotic headed in an equalizer from a corner kick to secure a 2-2 draw. Vukotic had earlier made a mistake leading to a goal but made amends with the leveler. Having earned one point, Darmstadt climbed to 5th place in the 2. Bundesliga.

On the day, Lee Ho-jae played approximately 30 minutes, recording one goal from a single shot, completed all three passes in the opponent's half, and was caught offside twice. Football data firm Sofascore awarded Lee Ho-jae the highest rating among both teams with a 7.5.

After the match, head coach Florian Kohfeldt praised Lee Ho-jae's fantastic goal for injecting spirit into the team, stating that the draw would give the squad a major confidence boost.

A K League 1-Proven Striker: Darmstadt's Fourth Korean

Lee Ho-jae joined Darmstadt late last month. This came after he established himself at Pohang Steelers in K League 1, recording 53 goals in 177 appearances. Already a proven striker who finished as the K League 1's second-highest scorer and was leading the top of the standings this season, he scored in an unofficial friendly immediately after his transfer, quickly adapting to his new environment. His 191cm height, aerial dominance, and powerful shooting ability are cited as his key strengths.

Darmstadt is the club where former national team head coach Cha Bum-kun first set foot on the German stage, and Korean players such as Ji Dong-won and Baek Seung-ho have also passed through. Lee Ho-jae became the fourth Korean player in the club's history.

'Darmstadt Doesn't Need a Stretcher'... A Display of Strength

During the match, a scene in which Lee Ho-jae personally carried injured Yosuke Furugawa off the pitch also became a talking point. The Bundesliga's official social media account introduced the moment with the caption, "Darmstadt doesn't need a stretcher, thanks to Lee Ho-jae's incredible strength." German outlet Hessenchatau also reported that Darmstadt regained its vitality just 15 minutes after Lee Ho-jae's introduction.

Darmstadt will face Dynamo Dresden in a Round 2 away match at the Glücksgas Stadium on the 16th at 8:30 PM.