Schalke shut out Bayern in surprise Bundesliga stalemate

Bayern Munich were held to a goalless draw by Schalke at the Veltins-Arena on Saturday, dropping two points in the Bundesliga just days before beginning their European campaign.

The result leaves the German champions with four points from their opening two league matches, placing them fourth in the table. They are two points behind the three clubs sharing the lead: Freiburg, Borussia Dortmund and Elversberg, who have each collected six points.

Schalke, meanwhile, claimed their first point of the season and moved up to 14th place.

Bayern arrived in Gelsenkirchen in confident mood after making a strong start to the defence of their Bundesliga title. Vincent Kompany’s side opened the campaign with a 5-1 victory over Stuttgart before following that with a 4-1 win against Osnabruck in the DFB-Pokal.

However, they could not find a way past Schalke despite enjoying overwhelming possession and creating a significant number of attempts. Bayern controlled 83% of the match and registered 15 shots, with five of them on target, but the home side held firm to secure a notable result.

Kompany made several changes to the team that began the league opener. One of the most notable was the inclusion of Morocco international Ismael Saibari from the start.

Saibari had made an immediate impact as a substitute against Stuttgart, providing two assists, and was subsequently selected in the starting line-up for the cup victory over Osnabruck. His involvement against Schalke ended after 57 minutes, when he was replaced by French team-mate Michael Olise.

For Schalke, the match marked an important occasion beyond the point gained. It was their first Bundesliga fixture at the Veltins-Arena for more than three years following their return to the top flight.

Their comeback had begun disappointingly, with Schalke losing their opening league match of the season 3-0 against Augsburg. They responded with a disciplined defensive display against Bayern, frustrating the visitors despite the considerable difference in resources between the two clubs.

The draw came shortly before Bayern’s return to European action. They will host Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt at the Allianz Arena on Thursday in their opening Champions League fixture.

The Bundesliga champions will therefore head into that match having been unable to score in their latest outing, although their early-season record still includes emphatic victories over Stuttgart and Osnabruck.

The source article also featured related headlines concerning a “disastrous rating” and the “failure” of the referee in the Real Madrid and Real Betis match, as well as Jose Mourinho’s comment: “I thought the Betis player had died in front of the bench.”

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