In the end, the heroes in royal blue did not implement to perfection what the fans had wanted before the FC Schalke duel. But the promoted team came very, very close to the supporters' cleverly formulated idea with the 0-0 draw against FC Bayern, who were overpowering on all levels. “It's not the better guy who should win, it's always SCHALKE,” one could read in the north curve as part of a choreography that lasted several minutes.
In the end, Schalke celebrated an exuberant party as if they had defeated the better team. Although that is debatable. Because at least Schalke had been better at showcasing their own strengths. “We had a good plan, but it had to be executed almost to perfection because Bayern always have solutions,” said coach Miron Muslić, whose team was by no means the superior team in the classic categories (chances, shots on goal, corners, ball possession and so on).
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They felt like winners because they had developed almost exactly 100 percent of their existing potential. “We decided to enjoy defending to a certain extent, to enjoy suffering,” said Muslić.
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However, it didn't always look like that. Robin Gosens, who is not yet fully trained after an injury, struggled quite a bit. But the former national player played a Bundesliga game for the first time in the jersey of his heart club in the Gelsenkirchen Arena and said at the end: "I'm enjoying it, for me it's the first time that I've been able to play here. I couldn't have imagined it better."
The fact that FC Bayern is no longer top of the Bundesliga table for the first time since September 2024, has not scored a goal for the first time since February and is therefore two points behind BVB in the table was of secondary importance at this moment. “On the second matchday you don’t have to look so closely at the table,” said Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer. The newcomer told the story of the day.
Bayern had also worked a lot, but it was Schalke who made this game a spectacular blockbuster in the well-known “defensive battle” football genre. It was exciting and highly intense, the audience was electrified. Every duel was celebrated and FC Schalke happily took on the role of the underdog. “Bayern won’t stop, but neither will we,” said Muslić.
Goalkeeper Loris Karius became a superhero in the ensemble of those celebrated, defusing dangerous shots from Nathaniel Brown (13th) and Harry Kane (87th). Satoshi Tanaka, who was signed by Fortuna Düsseldorf before the season and came into the team for the suspended Ron Schallenberg, also played outstandingly. As a long-term runner, tackler and even ball distributor in the blocked center of the field.
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Muslić's Schalke players repeatedly refined their very clever anti-Bayern football with their own moments of possession. They managed to disrupt the rhythm, prolong breaks in the game, stir up emotions and slow down the pace, and the Schalke coach clenched his fists in determination after successful actions.
But Schalke were hardly dangerous. Only Moussa Sylla had the chance of a very special coup: When the rejected former Schalke hero Manuel Neuer was still well in front of his goal after a moment of change, Sylla could have shot from almost 50 meters after winning the ball - but he somehow didn't dare to do that (34th). Incidentally, Neuer was whistled every time he touched the ball; This old narrative thread was also taken up again during this first Schalke Bundesliga home game in almost two and a half years.
Harry Kane came into the game at half-time, before Michael Olise and, fortunately, Jamal Musiala, who was back in action, followed after 55 minutes. Kane and Olise had been rested, Musiala had been sidelined in the Supercup, the Cup and the first Bundesliga matchday after losing consciousness for a few seconds twice in preparation due to a neurological illness. His comeback was one of the positive aspects of this overall unsatisfactory Munich business trip.
Kompany also mentioned that his team had always remained stable defensively, the main cause in his eyes was a lack of tenacity: “In a game like this you always need speed on the ball and pressure on this defense, and today we had good chances, but we only put pressure on the defense for 60 or 70 minutes,” said the coach. That wasn't enough, "but," said the Munich coach: "If the others deserve it, then that's just the way it is."
