GermanyBayern Munich was held to a 0-0 draw by rookie Schalke in round 2 of the Bundesliga, thereby leaving the top of the table for the first time since September 2024.

GermanyBayern Munich was held to a 0-0 draw by rookie Schalke in round 2 of the Bundesliga, thereby leaving the top of the table for the first time since September 2024.

Since taking the top spot in the third round of the 2024-2025 season, in coach Vincent Kompany's first season in charge, the Bavarian team has never left this position through 67 consecutive rounds. This is an unprecedentedly long streak in the tournament's history.

Few people thought Schalke would be the team to end that streak of dominance. The Ruhr team has just returned to the Bundesliga after three seasons playing in the Second Division, losing 0-3 to Augsburg on the opening day and losing all 12 of their last meetings with Bayern with a total score of 2-42. The last time the two teams met in the Bundesliga, in May 2023, Bayern won 6-0.

Finally, in their first home match in the Bundesliga in more than three years, the newly promoted team kept a clean sheet against the defending champions, in a match where Bayern held the ball 83% and created 2.1 expected goals (xG).

Part of the reason lies in Kompany's decision to rotate. Bayern started the match without Harry Kane and Michael Olise, the team's two most important attacking players. Jamal Musiala is also on the bench, while Ismael Saibari, Lennart Karl or Nathaniel Brown are given opportunities.

Before the match, Kompany warned his students not to be subjective because of their superior position. "A match always starts from zero," Bayern coach said, emphasizing Schalke's desire for the day the Bundesliga returns to Veltins Arena.

Developments show that the warning is well-founded. Bayern immediately pushed Schalke back to their home field and controlled almost all the ball for the first 15 minutes. But the advantage in possession of the ball does not mean that the away team creates many clear opportunities. Schalke kept the formation low, keeping the distance between the lines narrow and forcing Bayern to circulate the ball a lot outside the penalty area.

Nathaniel Brown had an early chance but couldn't beat Loris Karius. Schalke then gradually stabilized and boldly pushed the team forward instead of just defending around the penalty area. The home team's aggressive and organized approach caused Bayern's ball speed to decrease significantly.

Schalke even had moments that made the away team worried. Adil Aouchiche took a free kick forcing Manuel Neuer to intervene. The home owner also had two situations calling for a penalty but the referee did not accept it.

Bayern's best chance in the first half belonged to Luis Diaz. The Colombian striker escaped to face Karius, but could not beat the Schalke goalkeeper. This is also a typical image of the match: Bayern was able to penetrate the home defense system a few times, but always lacked the final precision to convert the advantage into a goal.

Unsatisfied with his attacking ability, Kompany began using his strongest cards in the second half. Kane, Olise and Musiala appeared one after another. Bayern has since then significantly increased their passing speed and their ability to apply pressure around the penalty area.

But the adjustment did not bring goals. Diaz has another chance to face Karius in the second round. He chose to lift the ball past the 33-year-old goalkeeper, but the handling lacked strength and Schalke was able to clear the danger near the goal line. Olise also quickly tested Karius, but the home goalkeeper continued to block.

The closer Bayern got to the end, the more they pushed their squad higher. The attacks were almost continuous towards Schalke's penalty area, while the home team retreated deep and concentrated their troops to protect the area in front of the goal.

The difference is clearly shown through statistics. Central defender Jonathan Tah even made 126 accurate passes in 130 passes, showing that most of the match took place with Bayern moving the ball in Schalke's half.

At the end of the match, Kane had space outside the penalty area and shot high into the top corner. One of the clearest chances for Bayern to win three points, but Karius flew to block it. Neuer after the match also praised his colleague on the other side of the front line, saying that Karius deserved the title of best player in the match.

The performance is all the more remarkable because of Karius's exceptional career. The German goalkeeper was brought by Liverpool from Mainz and became the number one goalkeeper of the English team, but his career took a different direction from the 2018 Champions League final. His two mistakes contributed to Liverpool losing 1-3 to Real in Kiev.

Karius then played for Besiktas, Union Berlin and Newcastle respectively before returning to Germany. At Schalke, he gradually found a regular playing position. In the opening round of this season, even though Schalke lost 0-3 to Augsburg, Karius still made 10 saves - the most in the Bundesliga in that round. A week later, he kept a clean sheet against Bayern, helping Schalke earn their first point since returning to the Bundesliga.

Bayern did not score in a Bundesliga match for the first time in more than 18 months. Kompany, however, did not criticize his students. The Belgian coach congratulated Schalke and said that Bayern still created enough opportunities to win.

The match was also special for Neuer. The Bayern captain was born in Gelsenkirchen, grew up at the Schalke academy and became the number one goalkeeper of the first team before moving to Bayern in 2011. A part of the home crowd still boos Neuer every time he touches the ball.

The draw left Bayern with only four points through two rounds. Meanwhile, Dortmund and Freiburg both won, and rookie Elversberg created a surprise by also winning six points. Dortmund beat Hoffenheim 3-2, Freiburg beat Paderborn 1-0 and Elversberg beat Mönchengladbach 4-3 on the same day. Bayern therefore leaves the number one position for the first time since September 2024.