Matchday 17: Leipzig clearly wins against weak Schalke core

The desolate FC Schalke 04 has also lost against RB Leipzig and is almost inexorably staggering towards relegation.

Matchday 17: Leipzig clearly wins against weak Schalke core

The desolate FC Schalke 04 has also lost against RB Leipzig and is almost inexorably staggering towards relegation. The team coached by Thomas Reis had no chance and deservedly lost 6-1 (4-0) to the strong DFB Cup winners from Saxony at the start of the 17th matchday in the Bundesliga.

While Leipzig, after 15 competitive games in a row without defeat, is Bayern's first pursuer for at least one day, Schalke remains behind with only nine points. André Silva (7th/44th minute), Benjamin Henrichs (15th), Timo Werner on his comeback in the starting eleven (45th 2), Dani Olmo (83rd) and Yussuf Poulsen (89th) scored in front of 56,841 spectators in Gelsenkirchen the goals for the clearly superior guests. Soichiro Kozuki scored the only Schalke goal (56th).

Leipzig dominated from the start. National striker Werner, who was back in the starting line-up for the first time since the beginning of November after tearing his syndesmosis ligament, got stuck on a counterattack and then gave the ball to Silva. A good decision: The Portuguese used the guests' first chance to score with a precise low shot to take the lead.

Schalke missed the start

As a reaction to the early deficit, the Schalke fans considered the unloved Red Bull Club and Werner in particular with loud abusive songs. Her team was not shaken up by this. After a quarter of an hour it was 0:2. The outstanding Olmo, who was directly involved in four Leipzig goals, gave Henrichs free play and the full-back scored his first goal of the season.

The Schalke players looked shocked, Leipzig whirled on. At times, the game was reminiscent of a first round of the cup, in which a lower-class team had to defend itself against a top-flight team and couldn't even begin to do it. Attack after attack rolled towards the goal of Schalke keeper Alexander Scholow. The Gelsenkircheners could thank the 30-year-old that it wasn't 0:3 or 0:4 after half an hour.

Schalke's defense didn't get into the duels at all. In addition, Leipzig's Xaver Schlager and Konrad Laimer, whose move to FC Bayern Munich is fixed in the summer according to "Kicker", had the midfield center completely under control.

Frey still harmless

Only towards the end of the first half did the Revierclub make the game a little more balanced. However, Schalke did not create a chance to score. New signing Michael Frey, who replaced Simon Terodde as a center forward, struggled but did not prevail decisively.

The attack from Leipzig was different: Silva and Werner decided the game with more goals before the break, Olmo and substitute Poulsen added again in the final phase. The bitter appearance of the hosts also matched the fact that Schalke's RB loan Tom Krauß had to leave before the change of sides due to injury.

As the game progressed, Leipzig took things a little easier. Schalke came into play better and at least scored the goal. Kozuki took the ball with him in a technically demanding manner and scored his first Bundesliga goal. But there was nothing more for Schalke. Relegation is becoming increasingly unrealistic for the traditional club.

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