The showdown between FC Schalke 04 and SV Darmstadt 98 takes place twice within a week – first on Friday (October 24th) in the 2. Bundesliga, then on Wednesday (October 29th) in the DFB-Pokal. The Lilies will be visiting the Veltins Arena first. Kick-off is at 6:30pm. Therefore, our top facts look at Friday evening’s league match. We’ve compiled the most important facts and figures for you.
This season, FC Schalke 04 is at the top of the table. The Royal Blues are currently second in the 2. Bundesliga with 21 points. Particularly noteworthy is Schalke’s current winning streak, having won all of their last four matches – 2-0 in Magdeburg, 1-0 against Fürth, 2-1 in Bielefeld, and 3-0 in Hannover.
FC Schalke 04 is demonstrating its defensive strength this season. In their 3-0 win at Hannover, Schalke kept a clean sheet for the fourth time in the 2025/26 season—the same number as in the entire previous season. Only five goals conceded after nine matches is currently the league best. Schalke’s defensive stance has never been more solid in the past 63 years.
But the Lilies are no slouch either, boasting a winning streak and a strong defence. SV Darmstadt 98 are unbeaten in five matches – three wins, two draws. This is primarily due to their solid defence. The South Hesse team has already kept five clean sheets this season – tied with Elversberg for the league’s best record. It’s also noteworthy that SV 98 has already kept one more clean sheet than in the entire previous season.
Last season, the Lilies won both games against FC Schalke 04. While they celebrated a spectacular 5-3 win after being 3-0 down at the Veltins-Arena, SV 98 also won the return leg at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor 2-0. The first leg against Schalke in particular will probably stay fresh in the memories of every Lilien fan for a long time. In front of their home crowd, the Royal Blues took a 3-0 lead in the first half. A penalty goal from Fraser Hornby, then a hat trick from Isac Lidberg and another goal from Sergio Lopez turned a 0-3 deficit into a 5-3 win! Incidentally, Isac Lidberg played a decisive role in both of the Lilies‘ wins last season, scoring five of the seven goals against S04.
Florian Kohfeldt seems to have a fondness for Schalke: He has won eight of his ten duels against Schalke – with just one draw and one loss. He has not celebrated more victories against any other club in his coaching career. At the Veltins Arena, the SV 98 head coach even has a completely clean sheet, winning six of his six matches against Schalke. However, Kohfeldt still has a score to settle with Miron Muslic. The two coaches already know each other from encounters in Belgium. In the 2023/24 Jupiler Pro League season, the current Schalke coach lost twice with KAS Eupen to Muslic and Cercle Brugge – both times 2-0.
Are Friday night games a favourite for both teams? So far, both SV Darmstadt 98 and FC Schalke 04 have won all their Friday night games this season. The Lilies won 1-0 in Nürnberg and 2-0 at home against Dynamo Dresden on a Friday. Schalke, on the other hand, even played on Fridays once more. The Royal Blues won their Friday games against Hertha (2-1), Fürth (1-0), and Hannover (3-0).
The Lilies currently lead the league in shots on goal after counterattacks – they have created a total of 18 shots on goal after quick transitions. This means that the 98ers have eleven more shots on goal than their upcoming opponent. Four of the 18 shots found the net, placing SVD third in this category. Only SpVgg Greuther Fürth and SV Elversberg are just ahead of the Lilies, each with one more goal.
Sergio Lopez received a second yellow card in the home game against 1. FC Magdeburg. As a result, the full-back will miss the away game at Schalke due to suspension.
| Games | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals | |
| Home | 11 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 15:21 |
| Away | 9 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 17:26 |
| Total | 20 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 32:47 |
Darmstadt 98 lost to Hannover 96 while playing with ten men and must continue to wait for their first win of this second division season. Read our analysis to find out what positives remain and why Darmstadt 98 had factored in setbacks on their chosen path.
Around the time of the home game against Hannover 96 on Sunday (August 30th), the Jonathan Heimes Square was officially inaugurated. Before kickoff, club president Markus Pfitzner and Martin Heimes, father of Jonathan Heimes, who died of cancer about ten years ago, gave speeches highlighting "Johnny's" importance and his commitment to people with cancer.
The Lilien Team Marathon is not just about athletic performance and the shared experience around the Böllenfalltor stadium – but also about making a difference together.
The SV Darmstadt 98 U21 team drew 2-2 (0-1) against SV Unter-Flockenbach. After a heated home game, the young Lilies had to settle for a frustrating, but ultimately deserved, draw. In this extremely balanced league, Patrick Kurt's team continues to grow week by week, gaining valuable experience.
An emotional match with many controversial moments unfolded on Sunday afternoon at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Ultimately, Darmstadt suffered their first home defeat of the young season. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you.
Tried everything, but to no avail: SV 98 came up short in their home game against Hannover 96. The final score was 1-0 (0-0) to the visitors, whilst the Lilies had to play with ten men after Vukotic was sent off in the 20th minute.
Home game against Hannover! On matchday 3, Darmstadt 98 will host the ambitious Lower Saxons at the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. Florian Kohfeldt has made three changes to his starting lineup compared to the victory in Jena. Hiroki Akiyama replaces the suspended Kai Klefisch, while Nicolas Verkooijen (making his first start) and Yosuke Furukawa start in place of Carlo Sickinger and Manolo Merx.
Weekend, Lilies fever! On Sunday (August 30th/1:30pm), the Lilies have their third matchday on the schedule. Hannover 96, the club from the Lower Saxon capital, will be visiting the Bölle. What do the two head coaches have to say before kickoff? Who will be refereeing the match? And where can you watch the game? As usual, we've compiled all the important information about the match against Hannover in our "Matchday Guide"
One day before their home game against Hannover 96, Darmstadt 98 have announced another new signing. William Mikelbrencis will now wear the SV 98 jersey. The 22-year-old Frenchman was under contract with Hamburger SV until June 30th.
In the press conference before the second home game of the still young season, our head coach spoke about, among other things, our team's attacking play and the past week. As usual, you can find the most important statements before the match against Hannover 96 (August 30th/1:30pm) here for you.
A second-division team on the Berlin Mount Olympus: Hannover 96 achieved something unique in 1992. On May 23, the Lower Saxony club defeated Borussia Mönchengladbach in the DFB Cup final, securing another major title in the club's history 38 years after their German championship win in 1954. Hannover became the first and, to this day, only "true" second-division team to win the DFB Cup, causing one of the biggest upsets in the competition's history.
