Schalke 04 vs Darmstadt Prediction 24.10.2025 | 2. Bundesliga

The Gelsenkirchen club picked up right where they left off before the October international break, delivering their most impressive display of the season to hammer Hanover 3-0 on the road, extending their winning streak to four matches.

After a few challenging and colorless years, Schalke 04 finally seem to be back on the path to former glory, with an impressive 21-point haul (W7 L2) placing them second in the 2. Bundesliga table, just one point behind current leaders Elversberg.

With just five goals conceded in their opening nine rounds, it is clear that the Royal Blues’ main strength this season has been their defense, currently ranked number one in the division, but 13 goals scored show that their attack needs reinforcement if they are to stay firmly in the race for a top-two finish.

Head coach Miron Muslic will be without several key players, including Timo Becker, Tomas Kalas, Christopher Antwi-Adjei, Zaid Tchibara, and the striking duo Emil Hojlund and Peter Remmert, all sidelined with injuries.

Meanwhile, Darmstadt also rank among the hot contenders for promotion this season in Germany’s top flight, giving their fans plenty of reasons to be optimistic after last season’s pale 12th-place finish.

With 18 points from their opening nine matches, Die Lilien sit high in fourth place and will need a response following back-to-back draws to stay in the hunt for a top-three finish, as they are just two points behind third-placed Paderborn.

One of the main reasons Darmstadt have lost just a single match so far lies in their exceptionally solid and well-organized defensive unit, which has conceded only six goals, placing them just behind the league’s toughest defence, Schalke, who have let in five.

Defender Sergio Lopez will serve a one-match suspension after receiving a red card from two yellows in last week’s goalless draw with Magdeburg, while Paul Will remains sidelined with a serious knee injury.