Last-minute Bülter penalty earns S04 a draw against Gladbach

Three changes to the team

Head coach Frank Kramer made three alterations to the team that lost at Köln on the first matchday. Marius Bülter replaced the suspended Dominick Drexler, whilst Malick Thiaw and Simon Terodde came in for Marcin Kaminski and Sebastian Polter.

Zalazar finds the bottom corner

Schalke, backed by a fantastic home crowd, who unveiled a stunning tifo in the Nordkurve before the game, began with some real confidence. Tobias Mohr had the first chance after just four minutes, stabbing an Ouwejan cross past both Yann Sommer and the far post. Rodrigo Zalazar was the next Schalker to try their luck, firing over from the edge of the box (9’). Sommer was called into action for the first time after 15 minutes, easily holding Marius Bülter’s effort from the near post.

The away side had more of the ball, though they struggled to do much with it in the first half. The first shot on goal came after 17 minutes, but Alexander Schwolow comfortably saved Manu Koné’s strike from distance. The summer signing then kept out Florian Neuhaus (21’) and watched Marcus Thuram’s shot go wide after a chip over the S04 defence from Ramy Bensebaini picked the forward out (22’).

Frank Kramer’s men were able to break the deadlock in the 29th minute. After breaking quickly once winning possession back, Rodrigo Zalazar gave it to Tobias Mohr and then drove forwards with the ball once receiving it. Around 20 yards out, he let fly and found the bottom corner to make it 1-0 to Schalke!

Schalke continued to put their foot on the gas in search of a second goal. One opportunity came when Marius Bülter skinned his former teammate Ko Itakura twice, although the Japan international got back to block the eventual shot. The final notable moment of the first half saw Zalazar hit a low free-kick towards goal, which Sommer held well despite a deflection (45’).

Penalty in injury time

The goalscorer from the first half, Rodrigo Zalazar, tried his luck again from range early in the second period – his curler landed just over the bar (51’). The Foals pressed S04 higher up the pitch after the break in a bid to get back in the game.

New signing Jordan Larsson came on for his debut on the hour mark, replacing Tobias Mohr. The Swedish striker had a chance to bag his first goal too, volleying over from Bülter’s knock down in the box. At the other end, the visitors got back on level terms almost immediately afterwards. Marcus Thuram’s sublime back-heel pass got Jonas Hofmann in behind and the Germany international beat Schwolow to make it 1-1 (72’). Things then went from bad to worse for the Royal Blues because Thuram put Borussia ahead six minutes later. He capitalised when Schwolow spilled a cross after being hindered by his own defender.

Schalke believed they could still get something from the game and got their reward in the fourth minute of injury time. Patrick Herrmann was penalised for a handball in the box, which referee Sven Jablonski didn’t notice in real time. VAR told him to take a closer look and he eventually pointed to the spot, to the delight of the home fans. Marius Bülter stepped up and buried the penalty to earn Schalke a hard-fought point.

Away game in Wolfsburg

Matchday 3 will see the Royal Blues travel to play VfL Wolfsburg away from home at 15:30 CEST on Saturday (20/8). The next match at the VELTINS-Arena is a week later, on Saturday again, this time against 1. FC Union Berlin (15:30 CEST).