Freiburg exists in Düsseldorf
Schalke goes under – and flies out of the cup
Updated 10/29/2025 – 10:51 p.mReading time: 2 minutes
FC Schalke is in first place in the 2nd Bundesliga. There was now an attrition in the DFB Cup. Freiburg trembled its way to victory in Düsseldorf.
FC Schalke 04 crashed out of the DFB Cup. The leaders of the 2nd Bundesliga went down 0-4 (0-2) at Darmstadt 98 on Wednesday evening. The “Knappen” beat the “Lilien” 1-0 in the league at the weekend.
Parallel to the Schalke debacle, SC Freiburg fought its way into the round of 16 at Fortuna Düsseldorf. The Breisgauer team won 3-1 (2-1) after a double strike in the first six minutes of the game and a goal in stoppage time.
At the quick reunion in Darmstadt, Hiroki Akiyama (23rd), Matej Maglica (28th), Fraser Hornby (48th) and Bartosz Bialek (60th) scored for the hosts. Schalke had won the last five competitive games, but on Wednesday they remained without a goal for the first time since September 13th.
Things didn’t go well for coach Miron Muslić’s team from the start in the cup. Lloris Karius (18th) prevented the early deficit with a save against Hornby, but shortly afterwards he had no chance: after a Schalke corner, Akiyama scored at the end of a counterattack, and Maglica headed it up a little later.
Schalke found no answers against the determined Darmstadt team, who could have led higher in the first half. Hornby only needed three minutes in the second half to make it 3-0. The resistance of S04 seemed to be broken. After an hour the game was finally decided.
Igor Matovič (1st) and Vincenzo Grifo (6th) disillusioned the Düsseldorf audience early in Fortuna’s first home cup game in six years. The interim goal from Anouar El Azzouzi (20th) was not enough, Derry Scherhant (90th + 3) made the decision in crunch time. For the Rhinelanders, who also lost their third competitive game under their new coach Markus beginning, the sporting crisis continues.
After a quick switch, Matanović gave Freiburg the lead after just under 50 seconds, and Grifo ice-coldly increased the lead a little later after a major throw-in error by Fortuna. The guests remained dangerous as a result: Matthias Ginter missed a free-standing shot (35′), Matanović headed just over (24′).
Düsseldorf became more active as the game went on. After the break, as the game became more and more intense, Tim Oberdorf (54th) only hit the post. Freiburg’s goalkeeper Florian Müller was already beaten. Fortuna continued to press, but had no luck: Florent Muslija’s supposed equalizer (59′) didn’t count due to an offside position.