Kenan Karaman: We can take a lot of positives from this

In the 39th minute, for example, he hit the crossbar, denying Schalke an equaliser. “We created a lot of opportunities,” said S04’s number 19, adding: “Especially given the second half, we definitely deserved to score at least one goal.”

Atalanta, meanwhile, had significantly fewer chances but made the most of the opportunities that came their way. “You could really see the quality of the opposition today,” the 32-year-old acknowledged. The Bergamo-based club are regulars in the Champions League for good reason. “They’re a very good team, but we also held our own very well against them.

Although Karaman and his teammates “were really pushed to (their) limits from time to time”, the attacker was pleased with the way Schalke played when in possession. He presumably shared that view with the 58,587 fans in the VELTINS-Arena, who recognised their side’s performance with plenty of applause upon the final whistle. The captain is feeling confident looking to the future. “If we create chances as we did against Atalanta in the Bundesliga, I’m sure we’ll start putting them away.”

The captain also looked back on the “madness” he had already experienced at Schalke Day ahead of the game: “I’m now going into my fifth season here. These season openers are always something truly special, so I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the fans who supported us throughout the entire day.”