2. Bundesliga Preview: SV Darmstadt 98 vs. FC Schalke 04

Bundesliga in this week’s Topspiel as Darmstadt host leaders Schalke. The Royal Blues dropped four more points in the last three matchdays, and they could start the game in third place if Elversberg and Paderborn win their respective matches earlier on Saturday. Miron Muslić’s side squandered a two-goal lead last week at home against Hannover.

Edin Džeko maintained his record of scoring in every home game since signing for the club, but his red card in the 53rd minute proved costly at the end. Benedikt Pichler’s goal in the last kick of the game kept the five-point difference between the leaders and fifth-placed Hannover. Schalke have only managed three wins since the turn of the year.

Florian Kohfeldt’s side also struggled in that department in the second half of the season. The second-placed team have also won only four out of nine games in 2026 as the league continues to produce surprise results. On the positive side, Darmstadt won each of their last seven games in front of their home support.

Meanwhile, Schalke are only fifth in the away table as they have only won once from their last five on the road. Schalke won the reverse fixture courtesy of Moussa Sylla’s early goal, but Darmstadt avenged that with a 4-0 success in the DFB-Pokal only five days later. Marius Bülter, who is now at the ranks of Köln, scored a hat-trick the last time Schlake won in Darmstadt.