Print

Mail

wiki links

Gekas nets to rally Bayer Leverkusen to draw at Schalke

Fanis Gekas scored to rally Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-1 draw at Schalke in a Bundesliga game on Friday.

Kevin Kuranyi scored with a glancing header from 10m off a free kick by Christian Pander in first-half injury time to give Schalke the lead.

But Gekas, last season's Bundesliga top scorer notched the equalizer in the 53rd minute.

In a fast-paced game, Ivan Rakitic hit the Leverkusen post in the 14th minute after connecting with a cross from Gerald Asamoah, then Kuranyi missed from close range.

Schalke lost central defender Mladen Krstajic to a left-knee injury after 20 minutes.

Bayer Leverkusen's Vratislav Gresko fired from outside the penalty box in the 38th minute, but Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer punched the ball over the crossbar.

Neuer did well to tip over a powerful drive by Stefan Kiessling at the start of the second half.

On the other side, his counterpart Rene Adler was tested by Jermaine Jones.

Gekas then capitalized on a mistake by the Schalke defense. Neuer deflected his first effort but Gekas pounced again to score.

Rakitic came close once more in the 55th minute but Adler dived to his left to deflect the shot.

Adler saved his team a few minutes later by tipping high a fierce header from Kuranyi. The keeper then stopped a couple shots from close range from a scramble in front his net.
This story has been viewed 919 times.