SV Darmstadt 98 will be visiting FC Schalke 04 on Friday evening (October 24, 6:30 p.m.). Lilies coach Florian Kohfeldt expects an “absolute top match.”
SV Darmstadt 98 vs. Schalke 04: This duel is on the schedule twice in the coming days. Part one will take place on Friday evening (October 24, 6:30 p.m.) in the 2nd Bundesliga, and part two will take place next Wednesday (October 29, 8:45 p.m.), when both teams meet in the second round of the DFB Cup.
But the Lilies are focusing on the championship game for now, as coach Florian Kohfeldt confirmed at the press conference ahead of the game at Schalke: “So far, I’ve only been thinking about tomorrow’s game. An away game at Schalke is one of the most difficult tasks you can have in the 2nd Bundesliga at the moment. We’ve dealt with that. We’re not looking ahead to Wednesday yet.” Fabian Nürnberger is still out for Darmstadt, and right-back Sergio Lopez is suspended after receiving a yellow-red card in the 0-0 draw against 1. FC Magdeburg last Sunday. All other players are available to Kohfeldt.
Spectators can look forward to a real top-of-the-table clash. Schalke are in second place after a great start under coach Miron Muslic, and Darmstadt, who are fourth in the table and three points behind the Royal Blues, can also be satisfied with their season so far.
“Miron has managed to get the team to believe unconditionally in what they are playing. That’s quite remarkable,” said Kohfeldt, praising his fellow coach, whom he got to know during his time in Belgium. In his view, there are also many parallels between the clubs. “Last season was certainly not the easiest for either of them. But both have a clear game plan this year – not the same, but a clear one. And you can see that clearly at Schalke,“ said the Siegen native. It is ”no coincidence“ that S04 has the best defense in the league with only five goals conceded. ”They are incredibly energetic and defend strongly up front. The strikers also work incredibly hard. They have conceded one goal less than us. With the ball, they are a team whose play is designed for depth, garnished with top quality, especially in attack. The strikers are sought out quickly, including through many crosses,” explained Kohfeldt.
However, a look at the Darmstadt coach’s record so far should be encouraging. Ten games, eight wins, one draw, one defeat. Crazy: the 43-year-old has won every game at the Veltins-Arena so far – regardless of which team he was coaching. So is Schalke Kohfeldt’s favorite opponent? “I don’t have a favorite opponent. I’m surprised myself when I read the record, because it’s quite unusual,“ he said. His personal record against S04 is ‘irrelevant’ for Friday’s game. And what kind of game does the former Bundesliga coach expect? ”Of course Schalke are a strong opponent, but we also have something to offer. For me, it’s a 50-50 game. I think set pieces will be a big factor. Both teams are very good at set pieces. I think you can say it will be an absolute top match in the 2nd division on Friday evening.”