Defending German Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich were on Saturday held to a scoreless draw by promoted Schalke 04.
The draw ended Bayern’s run of 67 consecutive matchdays atop the Bundesliga table. It was the first time they failed to score since February last year.
Seven-time German champions Schalke have not beaten Bayern since 2011 and had not even taken a point off the Bavarian giants in nine years — a run of 12 straight defeats.
Photo: EPA
“That’s who we are. That’s what defines us, and everyone can be proud of their performance today,” said the Schalke goalkeeper Loris Karius, who was named man of the match.
The former Liverpool goalkeeper deflected the post-match praise to his defenders, telling Sky Germany: “I just had to shout instructions to the lads: Keep going, push up, drop back.”
With Harry Kane and Michael Olise starting from the bench, Bayern dominated the ball, but created few clear chances as stubborn Schalke dug deep to pick up their first point of the season. Luis Diaz had an excellent chance with 54 minutes gone when through on the advancing Karius, but the Colombian’s chip was too soft and was cleared off the line by Robin Gosens.
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Bayern’s best chance came late when a long-range Kane effort was kept out by an excellent save from Karius, who leapt high to palm the ball to safety. His opposite number, Bayern captain Manuel Neuer was heavily booed by home fans every time he touched the ball on his return to the club where he started his career.
It was likely the 40-year-old’s final match in Gelsenkirchen, his home town, before his expected retirement at the season’s end.
“A win would have been nice,” Neuer said, adding that “but some of my family will be happy about the result, and so it’s okay as it is. I enjoyed myself.”
Despite the defeat, Bayern would be buoyed by the return of Jamal Musiala, who revealed he has a neurological condition after collapsing in preseason games.
Arsenal loanee Ethan Nwaneri provoked a late own goal as Borussia Dortmund came from two down to win 3-2 at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Hoffenheim were the better team for the opening hour, but lost their way as Dortmund clicked into gear and romped to victory with three goals in the final 30 minutes. Nwaneri, the youngest player in English Premier League history, arrived on a season-long loan from Arsenal on deadline day and came on with half an hour played.
“I liked what I saw,” Dortmund coach Niko Kovac said of Nwaneri. “That’s what we brought him in for... Maybe it wasn’t officially his goal, but he created it.”
“The team played all or nothing football,” Kovac added. “And when you [do that] ... the gaps start opening up.”
Hoffenheim were two up with 54 minutes played thanks to goals from Leon Avdullahu and Tim Lemperle. Striker Serhou Guirassy gave the visitors hope when he scored just after the hour mark and then set up Fabio Silva five minutes later. In the 86th minute, Nwaneri cut down the left and squared a shot which took a big deflection off home defender Albian Hajdari and landed in the net.
Bundesliga newcomers SV Elversberg continued their excellent top-flight arrival with a 4-3 win at Borussia Moenchengladbach, making it two wins from two this season. Elversberg fought back from 3-1 down and took the lead in stoppage time when Maurice Krattenmacher scored the winner. Elversberg, with a population of just 13,000, are the smallest town ever to have a German top-flight side, but opened the season with a shock 3-2 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen last week. Leverkusen rebounded from that disappointment by putting sorry Union Berlin to the sword in a 4-0 home victory, with Equi Fernandez, Facundo Medina, Patrik Schick and Ibrahim Maza on target.
Elsewhere, West Ham United loanee Niclas Fuellkrug scored his second goal in three games since returning to Germany to help Werder Bremen to a surprise 3-1 home win against RB Leipzig.
UEFA Europa League finalists SC Freiburg continued their perfect start to the season with a solid 1-0 win away at promoted SC Paderborn 07.
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