S04 win 2-0 in Düsseldorf

First start for Pöpperl

Miron Muslic was forced into one change from the team that beat SC Paderborn 07 2-1 at home a week ago. Ron Schallenberg, who had partnered Soufiane El-Faouzi in central midfield in every match to date so far this season, missed out with a thigh strain. He was replaced in the starting XI by Paul Pöpperl. The 22-year-old midfielder only made his first-team debut last Friday against SCP, coming off the bench late on.

Karaman scores in his milestone appearance

The opening spell at the Merkur Spiel-Arena was evenly balanced. Both sides had early half-chances, but neither Loris Karius nor his opposite number Florian Kastenmeier were seriously tested – until Kenan Karaman registered the first shot on target after a quarter of an hour. Following a quick transition, the captain drove into the box down the left, burst past Elias Egouli and went for goal from a tight angle. His effort towards the near post took a slight deflection, but Kastenmeier reacted well and turned it behind for a corner.

Moments later, Fortuna created their first opening of the evening. Tim Oberdorf played a pass into the feet of Florent Muslija, who suddenly found himself free 12 yards out. The midfielder rushed his finish, however, and sent the ball well over the bar (17’). After these two chances, much of the play shifted back into the middle of the pitch. When the ball did reach either penalty area, the hosts tended to be the ones probing, though Karius remained largely untroubled thanks to Schalke’s compact back line, marshalled once more by Nikola Katic.

Florian Kastenmeier, on the other hand, had to be at full stretch in the 31st minute. Set up by Vitalie Becker, Kenan Karaman curled a shot from the edge of the box towards the far corner, only for the Fortuna keeper to produce a superb flying save to keep the scores level.

Just before the end of the half, referee Felix Prigan pointed to the spot to award a penalty to Schalke. He rightly judged that Tim Oberdorf had raised his leg too high when challenging Nikola Katic, catching the Bosnian international on the head. After a VAR check, the decision stood. Following a three-minute stoppage, Kenan Karaman kept his composure in his 100th competitive game for the Royal Blues, striking his penalty firmly into the right-hand corner. Florian Kastenmeier got a hand to it but couldn’t keep it out. In the six minutes of added time, Vitalie Becker came close to doubling the lead. Running onto the ball at full pace, he struck a measured left-footed effort from 20 yards out, but Kastenmeier again came out on top and tipped it wide.

Oberdorf shown a second yellow

Schalke made their first change at the break, with Bryan Lasme coming on for Kenan Karaman, who came off as a precaution. Nikola Katic took over the captain’s armband from the goalscorer.

After the restart, Schalke were the brighter side. In the 50th minute, Bryan Lasme latched onto a Wallentowitz pass on the edge of the box, met the ball on the right side and went for goal with his instep from a tight angle, but his effort flew over. Less than five minutes later, Tim Oberdorf was back in the thick of the action, just as he had been at the end of the first half. Already on a booking, the Düsseldorf defender stepped on Christopher Antwi-Adjei’s foot and was correctly shown a second yellow card.

Despite being a man down and having struggled for results in recent weeks, the hosts kept fighting. Cedric Itten tried his luck from 17 yards just after the hour mark, but dragged his shot narrowly wide of the left post. Schalke, meanwhile, found it difficult to make their numerical advantage count. Substitute Christian Rasmussen had a big opportunity to equalise in the 75th minute. After winning the ball himself and receiving a return pass from Cedric Itten, his strike from was not accurate enough and flew wide.

In the closing stages, Schalke upped their game again. Christian Gomis, making his return from a thigh injury and introduced in the 80th minute, immediately played Vitalie Becker into space on the edge of the box. The academy product smashed his left-footed effort into the net, leaving Florian Kastenmeier no chance as the ball nestled in the bottom-left corner. It was the Bottrop-born wing-back’s first professional goal. In added time, Moussa Sylla could even have made it three after a fine pass from Soufiane El-Faouzi. From close range, however, the striker was denied by Florian Kastenmeier. The miss mattered little – moments later the final whistle sounded and the S04 celebrated an important away win with their travelling supporters.

Nürnberg up next

FC Schalke 04’s next game is a special one, as the Royal Blues welcome friends 1. FC Nürnberg to the VELTINS-Arena on Sunday (14/12) at 13:30 CET. The match has already been sold out for weeks.