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Search Login Please log in with your user data. S04 beaten by Real Madrid CF in VELTINS-Arena anniversary match The Royal Blues ended their pre-season schedule against Spanish giants Real Madrid CF on Sunday (16/8). The visitors ran out 3-0 winners in the VELTINS-Arena’s 25th anniversary match, having led 2-0 at half time. Four changes to the starting XI Head coach Miron Muslic made four changes to his starting XI from last week’s 3-0 defeat to Italian top-flight side Atalanta. Captain Kenan Karaman and new signing Junior Dina Ebimbe both picked up knocks last time out and were unavailable against Real Madrid, with Dejan Ljubičić and Moussa Sylla coming into the side. Ron Schallenberg was also preferred to Satoshi Tanaka in central midfield, while Nikola Katic replaced Mertcan Ayhan at centre-back. Mbappé and Huijsen on target for Real In front of a sell-out crowd, Schalke’s determination to rise to the occasion was clear from the first whistle. Ron Schallenberg and Vitalie Becker both won the ball back in promising areas inside the Madrid half, although the visitors dealt with both attacks. It didn’t take long for Real Madrid’s attacking quality to show either. The Spanish giants put S04 under heavy pressure with their high line, and Kylian Mbappé anticipated a back pass from Ron Schallenberg before slotting past Loris Karius to make it 1-0 (6’). Schalke created the next opening. Junior Adamu was fouled in a central position 18 yards from goal, and Adil Aouchiche stepped up to take the resulting free-kick, sending a powerful effort narrowly wide of Thibaut Courtois’ goal (9’). Kylian Mbappé was soon a threat again, shooting wide from 18 yards after being picked out by a long ball through the middle (12’). A minute later, the forward got the better of Nikola Katic in a foot race but was denied by Loris Karius from a tight angle a few yards out (13’). Miron Muslic’s side continued to embrace the challenge and looked to get forward whenever possible. A move involving Soufiane El-Faouzi, Moussa Sylla and Vitalie Becker ended with the left-back crossing into the box, where Junior Adamu’s header under pressure was gathered by Thibaut Courtois (14’). Dean Huijsen enjoyed more success at the other end shortly afterwards, heading Arda Güler’s corner inside Schalke’s near post to double Real Madrid’s lead (20’). Schalke continued to look for opportunities going forward despite falling two goals behind. Soufiane El-Faouzi repeatedly looked to break into the Real box, and after one dribble took him all the way to the byline, the visitors’ attempted clearance fell straight to Moussa Sylla, whose acrobatic effort flashed narrowly wide of the far post (30’). Dean Huijsen then came close to a second at the other end, only for Loris Karius to make an excellent save from his header after a Kylian Mbappé cross (33’). Timo Becker was called upon three minutes later, clearing off the line after Vinicius Junior’s shot had beaten Schalke’s goalkeeper (36’). S04 had the final chance of the first half, with Adil Aouchiche firing wide of the far post from distance after a spell of patient passing (43’). Schalke continue to show fight The visitors made four changes at the break, while head coach Miron Muslic made just one, with Mertcan Ayhan replacing Nikola Katic at centre-back. Vitalie Becker and Adil Aouchiche continued to combine well down the left, exchanging passes before Becker got a shot away from a tight angle, only for substitute goalkeeper Andriy Lunin to make the save (48’). Real continued to cut out Schalke’s attacks before they could develop into clear chances. Soufiane El-Faouzi held off two opponents after receiving a pass from Moussa Sylla and carried the ball towards the box, before Vinicius Junior eventually stopped him (55’). The visitors were far more clinical at the other end, as substitute Carlos Espi headed home Alvaro Carreras’ cross from close range to make it 3-0 (57’). José Mourinho made another four changes on the hour, while Maximilian Wöber and Satoshi Tanaka replaced Hasan Kuruçay and Ron Schallenberg for S04. Adil Aouchiche and Soufiane El-Faouzi remained among Schalke’s liveliest players going forward. After winning possession, Aouchiche moved across the edge of the Real box before shooting too centrally (67’). He then won the ball back on the left shortly afterwards and found El-Faouzi in the area, whose low ball towards Moussa Sylla at the edge of the six-yard box was cut out at the last moment by the Real defence (69’). The game remained open at both ends. Jude Bellingham was caught offside twice after getting in behind the Schalke defence (70’, 73’), while Soufiane El-Faouzi’s through ball for Junior Adamu at the other end had just too much on it (76’). Loris Karius was called into action again moments later, gathering safely after Carlos Espi got a foot to a cross (77’). Janik Bachmann and Luca Vozar then replaced Adil Aouchiche and Dejan Ljubičić (77’), before Edin Džeko and Christian Gomis came on for Moussa Sylla and Junior Adamu shortly afterwards (80’). Schalke kept looking for a way through until the final whistle, with the fresh legs in attack repeatedly trying to find space in the Real box. At the other end, Timo Becker drew a huge cheer from the crowd when he stopped Vinicius Junior on the counter as the last defender in front of Loris Karius (84’). Alexis Ciria then missed the chance to add a fourth with the final opportunity of the game, firing over from close range (90’), before referee Sören Storks brought Schalke’s final pre-season friendly to an end. Competitive action begins in the DFB-Pokal Pre-season is drawing to a close, with Schalke’s first competitive game now just a week away. The Royal Blues travel to Hallescher FC in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on Monday evening (24/8, 20:45 CEST), before starting their Bundesliga campaign away to FC Augsburg the following Sunday (30/8). Statistics: Schalke: Karius – Ljubičić (Bachmann 77’), T. Becker, Kuruçay (Wöber 61’), Katic (Ayhan 46’), V. Becker – El-Faouzi, Schallenberg (Tanaka 61’) – Aouchiche (Vozar 77’), Sylla (Džeko 80’) – Adamu (Gomis 80’) Real Madrid: Courtois (Lunin 46’/Voloshyn 86’) – Alexander-Arnold (Dumfries 61’), Konaté (Rüdiger 46’), Huijsen (Rivas 86’), A. Carreras (Cucurella 61’) – Valverde (Cestero 74’) – Brahim (Diomande 61’), Bernardo Silva (Bellingham 61’), Arda Güler (Camavinga 46’), Vini Jr. (Ciria 86’) – Mbappé (Espi 46’) Goals: 0-1 Mbappé (6’), 0-2 Huijsen (20’), 0-3 Espi (57’) Referee: Sören Storks Attendance: 62,136