Schalke Survive Halle Scare to Win DFB-Pokal Tie 5-2
- FC Schalke 04 beat fourth-tier Hallescher FC 5-2 after extra time in the DFB-Pokal first round, making them the only Bundesliga side not to win within 90 minutes.
- Halle led 1-0 at half-time despite Schalke holding 82 per cent possession, and equalised again in injury time through a deflected Stierlin effort to force extra time at 2-2.
- Schalke scored three times in extra time through Sylla (98'), Adamu (105'), and Dzeko (117') to advance, with Edin Dzeko also having converted a second-half penalty.
FC Schalke 04 stumbled into the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Sunday evening, eventually seeing off fourth-tier Hallescher FC 5-2 after extra time — a result that flattered the Bundesliga side after a performance that for long stretches failed to reflect the three divisions separating the two clubs.
Halle Strike First at the Death of the First Half
Despite commanding 82 per cent possession across the opening 45 minutes, Schalke created precious little of note. The clearest chance fell to Sylla, who failed to make proper contact with the ball in the 36th minute. It was Halle who broke the deadlock moments before the interval: a clearance from Vitalie Becker went badly wrong, and Kastull was on hand to slot the ball into the bottom-left corner to give the regional league side a wholly unexpected lead.
ARD pundit Bastian Schweinsteiger, speaking during the break, remarked that the game would now be very difficult for Schalke, advocating for the introduction of Edin Dzeko and Robin Gosens. Head coach Miron Muslić opted first for Junior Adamu, introduced in place of Ebimbe.
Schalke Level and Take the Lead — Only to Be Pegged Back
Schalke continued to press after the restart and were rewarded on the hour. An Aouchiche cross slipped under the foot of Halili, inadvertently presenting Ljubicic with a simple finish from close range to make it 1-1 in the 62nd minute. Dzeko and Gosens were introduced immediately afterwards, and their impact was swift: Kastull fouled Sylla at the edge of the penalty area, referee Jöllenbeck pointed to the spot, and Dzeko converted to give Schalke the lead with nine minutes remaining.
The tie appeared settled. Then, a minute into stoppage time, a Stierlin effort deflected off El-Faouzi and wrong-footed goalkeeper Karius — 2-2, and an equaliser Halle had scarcely seemed to merit. Schalke became the only Bundesliga club required to play extra time in the opening round, a distinction that will have done little for morale in the home dressing room.
Extra Time Brings Clarity
In the additional period, Schalke finally imposed themselves with conviction. El-Faouzi played in Dzeko, who laid the ball off first time for Sylla to shoot home in the 98th minute. Adamu added a fourth from a Sylla assist in the 105th minute, before Dzeko himself completed the scoring in the 117th to seal a 5-2 victory.
The manner of the win will nonetheless raise questions about Schalke's sharpness ahead of what promises to be a demanding Bundesliga campaign. That a regional league side pushed them to extra time — echoing the sort of upsets that have already marked this year's DFB-Pokal — underlines how unpredictable the early rounds of the competition remain.
