24 players in action

Miron Muslic gave minutes to 24 players at the Sportpark Blanke am Heideweg. New signing Soufiane El-Faouzi started in midfield alongside Max Grüger as part of a 3-4-1-2 formation. Timo Becker made his return to action for the club after more than three and a half years away. The defender, who has rejoined S04 from Holstein Kiel, came on at half time.

Ba scores the first goal of the new season

Around 6,000 fans were in attendance to see Schalke quickly take control of the game, as they were expected to. After a few promising early attacks, Pape Meïssa Ba came close to scoring Schalke’s first goal of pre-season in the 12th minute, heading Vitalie Becker’s cross onto the post.

The forward did break the deadlock though later on in the first half. Amin Younes crossed from the right and Schalke’s number 10 directed his header from close range on target and into the back of the net on this occasion (24’).

Schalke quickly doubled their lead, with Younes getting a goal for himself after assisting the first. From a short corner on the right, the midfielder dribbled into the box and then placed the ball into the far corner, leaving goalkeeper Shirin Namoyan with no chance (25’). Four minutes later, Schalke made it 3-0 from a corner. Younes’ delivery was headed home by Henning Matriciani.

There was time for one more goal in the first half: Pape Meïssa Ba got his second of the day after outmuscling a defender and then slotting a shot past Namoyan (43’).

Becker scores on his return

Head coach Miron Muslic changed his whole team for the second half, while Grafschaft coach Emiel ten Donkelaar made nine half-time substitutions. Less than two minutes after the restart, Schalke added their fifth goal of the day. Anton Donkor’s corner wasn’t properly dealt with and Timo Becker was in the right place to find the back of the net.

The hosts almost pulled one back in the 50th minute when Florian Kamp’s header from a free-kick hit the crossbar. Nine minutes later, Peter Remmert got himself on the scoresheet, sliding in to convert a Donkor cross from the left wing for 6-0. At the other end, Helge Pollmann dragged a shot wide from a good position for Grafschaft (62’).

Schalke continued to dominate proceedings, though it took them a while to threaten the Grafschaft goal again after going 6-0 up. With a quarter of an hour left to play, Muslic brought on two fresh faces, Bojan Potnar and Mika Khadr. They were soon part of the next goal celebrations as Anton Donkor’s lobbed finish made it 7-0 (79’).

Peter Remmert provided an assist in the 83rd minute to go with his goal, teeing up Mauro Zalazar, who drilled a low shot into the back of the net from the edge of the box. The loudest the ground got was arguably two minutes later, however, when Laurin Vrye picked out the bottom corner from outside the box for the ‘Best of Grafschaft’. Their consolation goal turned out not to be the final goal of the afternoon, with Bojan Potnar from Schalke’s U23s having the final say after another Remmert assist (88’).

Next friendly in Bocholt

Following another week of training, the Royal Blues are back in action next Saturday (5/7) for their second pre-season friendly. Miron Muslic’s side will play away against fourth-division side 1. FC Bocholt. Kick off at the Stadion am Hünting will be at 17:00 CEST. The Knappen then head to Austria two days later (7/7) for their summer training camp in Neustift im Stubaital.