Darmstadt 98 vs. Schalke 04: DFB Cup duel at Böllenfalltor!

Darmstadt 98 vs. Schalke 04: DFB Cup duel at Böllenfalltor!

On October 28, 2025, football fans in Germany can look forward to an exciting duel in the DFB Cup. At 8:45 p.m. SV Darmstadt 98 meets FC Schalke 04 in the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor. This second round game is part of a tradition that has existed since 1935 and makes the cup one of the most important titles in German club football. The knockout mode is also appreciated, as it always allows for surprising clashes between professional clubs and amateurs, so that the tension always remains high. According to Augsburger Allgemeine, the stadium will hold around 17,800 spectators who want to witness the big clash live.

This season, 64 teams will fight for the title, which will not only bring glory and honor to the winner, but also a place in the group stage of the 2026/27 UEFA Europa League. The current edition of the DFB Cup, which is being held for the 83rd time, started in August 2025 with a thrilling start: The final will traditionally take place in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, which has served as the venue since 1985. Last year's winner VfB Stuttgart was able to assert itself in the 2025 final against Arminia Bielefeld and won its fourth title with a 4-2 win.

TV broadcasts and viewership numbers

For everyone who wants to watch the match between Darmstadt and Schalke, it will be broadcast on pay TV on Sky. While the broadcast for the audience who does not want to pay subscription costs via ARD and ZDF only includes the summaries after the game. To date, 115 goals have been scored in 32 games in the 2025/26 DFB Cup - that results in a goal statistic of 3.59 per game! In this respect it is clear: there is a lot of high-class football to see!

As far as the record of the two clubs is concerned, Darmstadt ended last season in the 2nd Bundesliga with a complete success against Schalke. Both games ended in favor of the lilies: a 5:3 and a 2:0. Out of a total of 20 competitive games, Schalke were often successful overall - they recorded 11 wins, while Darmstadt left the field 7 times and drew twice. So the pressure is great and the Darmstadt team will do everything they can to continue this series.

To the point

• Termin: 29. Oktober 2025, 20:45 Uhr
• Ort: Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, Darmstadt
• TV-Übertragung: Sky (live), ARD und ZDF (Zusammenfassungen)
• Teams im DFB-Pokal: 64, darunter alle Bundesliga- und 2. Bundesliga-Teams sowie die besten vier Teams der 3. Liga
• Gesamtbilanz: 20 Pflichtspiele – Schalke: 11 Siege, Darmstadt: 7 Siege, 2 Unentschieden

As always, the DFB Cup is making waves and creating excitement among the fans. Be it on TV or in the stadium – football is and remains a part of home that we can all celebrate together! If that's not reason enough to get ready for the next evening, we don't know what will be!