Schalke Beat HFC 5-2 After Extra Time as Džeko Rescues DFB-Pokal Tie

On Monday, August 24, 2026, newly promoted FC Schalke 04 needed extra time to eliminate fourth-tier Hallescher FC (HFC) 5-2 in the DFB-Pokal first round at the sold-out Leuna-Chemie-Stadion in Halle. Edin Džeko, introduced as a second-half substitute, scored twice and set up another goal to turn a tie that HFC had led at half-time and equalized in stoppage time.

Editor’s note: This article draws on match reporting from sportschau.de (ARD), BBC Sport, the official DFB fixture data, and ESPN, August 24, 2026.

Match at a glance

Detail	Information
Competition	DFB-Pokal — First round (2026–27)
Date	Monday, August 24, 2026
Kickoff	20:45 CEST
Venue	Leuna-Chemie-Stadion, Halle (Saale) (~14,000 attendance — sold out)
Referee	Dr. Matthias Jöllenbeck
Final score	Hallescher FC 2–5 FC Schalke 04 (after extra time)
90-minute score	2–2
Half-time score	1–0 (HFC)

A cup night that nearly turned into a shock

Hallescher FC, sitting 10th in the Regionalliga Nordost, hosted a Bundesliga returnee one week before Schalke’s league opener at FC Augsburg. The class gap was obvious on paper, but Halle’s supporters packed the Leuna-Chemie-Stadion for a tie broadcast nationally on ARD, and the underdogs made Schalke earn every minute.

Schalke coach Miron Muslic handed a start to new signing Junior Dina Ebimbe while leaving Robin Gosens and Džeko on the bench. The first half offered little rhythm — and one bizarre moment when a Fabrice Hartmann free kick appeared to have beaten Loris Karius only for the ball to slip past the post; goal music briefly played before the stadium realized no goal had been scored.

When a real breakthrough finally arrived, it came from the home side. After a corner, Schalke’s defense lost its shape and defender Vin Kastull struck into the far corner in the 45th minute to give HFC a 1-0 lead at the break.

Schalke level, lead, then lose it again

Muslic’s side improved after the interval. Nikola Katić headed narrowly wide from a corner in the 54th minute, building on earlier pressure that had included a Vitalie Becker shot off the crossbar in the 27th minute and a close-range Sylla miss from a Dina Ebimbe cross before half-time.

The equalizer owed as much to a defensive mistake as to Schalke pressure. Burim Halili mishandled a harmless cross, and Dejan Ljubičić tapped in from close range in the 62nd minute. Muslic immediately sent on Džeko and Gosens, signaling that Schalke intended to force a winner before penalties.

Minute	Scorer	Team	Notes
45’	Vin Kastull	HFC	Header after a corner
62’	Dejan Ljubičić	Schalke	Punished a Halili error
81’	Edin Džeko	Schalke	Penalty after Kastull fouled Sylla
90+1’	Niclas Stierlin	HFC	Equalizer from a corner
98’	Moussa Sylla	Schalke	Assisted by Džeko
105+1’	Junior Adamu	Schalke	Extra time
117’	Edin Džeko	Schalke	Sealed the win

Džeko, who had only recently committed his future to Schalke, converted the 81st-minute penalty calmly after Kastull clipped Sylla while trying to clear a Gosens pass. For a moment it looked decisive — until Stierlin volleyed home from a corner in 90+1’ to send the tie to extra time and reignite Halle’s dream of a first-round upset.

Džeko decides it in extra time

Schalke regained control once the additional 30 minutes began. Džeko dropped a precise cross for Sylla, who finished in the 98th minute to restore the visitors’ lead. HFC could not mount a second comeback; substitute Junior Adamu added a 105+1’ goal before Džeko struck again in the 117th minute to complete his brace.

“We took the difficult Schalke path today — but we are used to that,” Muslic told sportschau after the match. “It was important not to lose our heads, and the boys did that really well.”

Gosens, making his competitive Schalke debut from the bench, added: “The team was very resilient, which impressed me, even if there is a lot to improve. We go into the week with a positive feeling — the euphoria at the club is huge.”

What it means for both clubs

For HFC, elimination hurts but the performance will linger. A Regionalliga side took a Bundesliga team to extra time in a full stadium on national television — and twice led the tie. Kastull’s opener and Stierlin’s late equalizer gave their supporters a cup night worth remembering even in defeat.

For Schalke, advancement came at a cost. The newly promoted side were the first Bundesliga team in this year’s competition to face a genuine first-round scare, and the display raised questions about readiness for top-flight survival. Muslic’s squad showed character under pressure, but the 90 minutes before extra time offered little of the fluency Schalke fans expect after their 2. Bundesliga title.

Schalke advance to the DFB-Pokal second round. Their immediate focus shifts to Augsburg on the following Sunday — the club’s first Bundesliga match since relegation. Halle return to Regionalliga duty with pride intact, if not a place in the next cup round.

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Discussion

1. Should a promoted Bundesliga side be worried after needing extra time to beat a fourth-tier HFC — or does Džeko’s impact prove Schalke have the experience to survive tight moments?

Schalke trailed at half-time, conceded a 90th-minute equalizer, and only pulled away once their veteran striker entered the game. Some will call that resilience; others will see a warning sign one week before the league season.

2. Did Hallescher FC miss a genuine cup upset, or was extra time always the likely ceiling against a full-strength Schalke squad?

Halle led twice in spirit if not on the clock, and Stierlin’s stoppage-time goal briefly reopened the door. Share your view on where the tie turned and what HFC’s performance says about lower-league ambition in the DFB-Pokal.

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