FC Schalke 04 drew 1:1 (1:1) at SV Darmstadt 98 in the 2. Bundesliga top match without suspended Edin Džeko and held top spot. Moussa Sylla scored for Schalke, Isac Lidberg equalized for Darmstadt. Pursuers closed in.
In the 27th matchday top clash of the 2. Bundesliga, FC Schalke 04 drew 1:1 (1:1) at SV Darmstadt 98 without suspended star striker Edin Džeko. The Royals remain top with a one-point lead over SV Elversberg and SC Paderborn, seven games before season's end. Darmstadt sits fourth, two points behind Schalke and outside the top three for the first time since matchday 14. Elversberg had beaten Arminia Bielefeld 3:0 earlier, Paderborn turned a 2:1 against Dynamo Dresden. Džeko's suspension was reduced to one game after a successful appeal following a red card in the 2:2 vs Hannover 96. Moussa Sylla, replacing Džeko, scored his first goal after 912 minutes in the 44th via header from a corner rebound off Timo Becker's post shot. Isac Lidberg equalized in first-half stoppage (45.+5) with his 14th seasonal goal from a turn. Earlier, a slapstick own goal by Moussa Ndiaye (18.) from Fabian Nürnberger's shot was disallowed by VAR due to Nürnberger fouling Ndiaye. Darmstadt suffered a setback: Luca Marseiler appeared to suffer a serious knee injury (26.) without opponent contact and was stretchered off. After halftime, Schalke keeper Loris Karius saved against Fraser Hornby (62.), Christian Gomis missed a big chance later (84.). Before 17,810 spectators, the match ended level, ending Darmstadt's seven home-win streak.
