Unbeaten run comes to an end following 3-0 loss to Leverkusen

Three changes

Thomas Reis made three changes to the team that drew in Augsburg. Rodrigo Zalazar replaced Éder Balanta (bench), while Dominick Drexler, back in the squad after a thigh problem, came in for Kenan Karaman (calf strain). The other alteration saw Leo Greiml deputise for the injured Moritz Jenz (pulled hamstring).

Several saves from Fährmann

Schalke began strongly and threatened in the second minute. Marius Bülter got past Odilon Kossounou down the left side and put a ball across the box, but Rodrigo Zalazar couldn’t quite get on the end of it. Shortly afterwards, Bülter fired over on the volley (7’).

At the other end, Ralf Fährmann was called into action for the first time after 10 minutes. He parried Amine Adli’s attempt and then reacted well to deny Jeremie Frimpong’s rebound. S04’s number one was again required five minutes later. This time, he easily got down low to save Robert Andrich’s shot. In between these two saves, Michael Frey cut inside and had his curler deflected over the bar by Jonathan Tah (13’).

Leverkusen continued to create good opportunities in a hard-fought first half. Moussa Diaby’s low drive went a few metres past the post in the 26th minute, then Amine Adli was slipped in behind the S04 defence two minutes later. Fährmann, however, was the winner of this battle.

The rest of the first half was more open, with Schalke seeing more of the ball. Rodrigo Zalazar struck a free-kick past the post in the 38th minute, the final notable moment before the break.

Frimpong, Wirtz and Azmoun score for the Werkself

The second half didn’t take long to get going. Michael Frey’s shot, slightly deflected by Jonathan Tah, was well saved by Lukas Hradecky (49’). His opposite number Fährmann then denied Moussa Diaby with his feet, but would soon be beaten for the first time. Diaby’s low ball across the six-yard box found Jeremie Frimpong at the back post, who had the simple job of tapping into an empty net for 1-0 (50’).

Schalke were desperate to find a quick equaliser, but instead suffered another setback. Florian Wirtz and Amine Adli combined with a nice one-two in the box and the Germany international toe-poked it past Fährmann for 2-0 (61’).

The visitors were then able to sit back a bit after doubling their lead. Schalke weren’t able to break down a solid Werkself defence, with the only opportunity to pull one back coming after 77 minutes from a set piece. Rodrigo Zalazar whipped in a free-kick and Maya Yoshida got on the end of it, though he couldn’t get enough contact on the ball to divert it home.

Instead, Leverkusen were looking more likely to score again late on and had several chances to do so. Diaby dragged a shot just past the post from a counter-attack (79’), then Henning Matriciani did brilliantly to divert Diaby’s strike onto the bar (80’). Xabi Alonso’s side did get a third and final goal, as Sardar Azmoun powerfully headed in from a Diaby cross in the first minute of injury time.

Easter Sunday in Sinsheim

Schalke’s next game is away to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim on Easter Sunday (9/4, 19:30 CEST). Hertha BSC then visit the VELTINS-Arena five days after that on Friday night (14/4, 20:30 CEST).