Second German league

Completely gaga! Schalke lose 3:5 after 3:0

Pure madness at Schalke 04 against Darmstadt 98 ...(Bild: AFP / SID)

What a completely crazy match on a completely crazy and memorable evening of soccer: German second division side Schalke 04 actually managed to lose a game in which they had already led 3-0 by the 45th minute! The crisis-ridden club lost 3:5 against the previously winless (!) SV Damrstadt 98 and is only just ahead of the relegation places in the second German league for the time being ...

The duel with the Bundesliga relegated team had started perfectly for the team of the now probably unstoppable coach Karel Geraerts: After goals from Tobias Mohr (14th minute), Moussa Sylla (34th) and Ron Schallenberg (38th), the "Royal Blues" had taken a deserved lead - and were heading for what looked like a clear victory.

Manual penalty results in Darmstadt goal
The Darmstadt goal by Fraser Hornby (45.+5), which resulted from a handball penalty after a VAR check, was not attributed any great significance for the time being ...

Pure madness at Schalke 04 against Darmstadt 98 ...(Bild: AFP / SID)

What followed will at least go down as a special chapter in the club annals of the "Lilies": With a flawless hat-trick, the Swede Isac Lidberg turned the game around from 3:1 for Schalke to 4:3 for Darmstadt (56th, 75th, 87th).

Catastrophic defensive errors
His last two goals were preceded by catastrophic defensive errors by Schalke. The Spaniard Sergio Galache finally put the lid on the game with his goal to make it 5:3 for the visitors in the 97th minute.