Since claiming the top spot in round three of the 2024-2025 season, the first under coach Vincent Kompany, the Bavarian club had maintained this position for an unprecedented 67 consecutive rounds, a record in the league's history.

Few expected Schalke to end this dominant run. The Ruhr-based club, recently returned to the Bundesliga after three seasons in the second division, suffered a 0-3 defeat to Augsburg on opening day and had lost their last 12 encounters against Bayern with an aggregate score of 2-42. Their most recent Bundesliga match, in 5/2023, saw Bayern win 6-0.

However, in their first home Bundesliga match in over three years, the newly promoted side kept a clean sheet against the reigning champions, despite Bayern maintaining 83% possession and generating 2,1 expected goals (xG).

Part of the reason stemmed from Kompany's rotation decisions. Bayern started the match without Harry Kane and Michael Olise, two of the team's most important attacking players. Jamal Musiala also remained on the bench, while Ismael Saibari, Lennart Karl, and Nathaniel Brown were given opportunities.

Harry Kane (center) and teammates show disappointment after Bayern's 0-0 draw with Schalke in Bundesliga round two at Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany on 5/9. *Photo: AP*

Before the match, Kompany had warned his players against complacency due to their favored status. "A match always starts from zero", the Bayern coach stated, emphasizing Schalke's hunger on the day the Bundesliga returned to Veltins Arena.

The match's progression validated that warning. Bayern immediately pushed Schalke back into their own half, controlling nearly all possession in the initial 15 minutes. However, this advantage in possession did not translate into many clear-cut opportunities for the visitors. Schalke adopted a deep defensive line, maintaining narrow gaps between their lines, forcing Bayern to circulate the ball extensively outside the penalty area.

Nathaniel Brown had an early chance but failed to beat Loris Karius. Schalke then gradually stabilized and became bolder in pushing their formation higher, rather than solely defending around the penalty area. The hosts' aggressive and organized approach significantly reduced Bayern's attacking tempo.

Schalke even had moments that caused concern for the visitors. Adil Aouchiche's free-kick forced a save from Manuel Neuer. The hosts also had two penalty appeals, but these were not accepted by the referee.

Bayern's best chance in the first half fell to Luis Diaz. The Colombian forward broke through to face Karius but could not beat the Schalke goalkeeper. This moment epitomized the match: Bayern could penetrate the hosts' defense a few times, but consistently lacked the final precision to convert their advantage into goals.

Dissatisfied with the attack, Kompany began deploying his strongest players in the second half. Kane, Olise, and then Musiala appeared consecutively. Bayern consequently increased their passing tempo and their ability to apply pressure around the penalty area.

However, the adjustments did not result in a goal. Diaz had another one-on-one opportunity with Karius in the second half. He attempted to chip the 33-year-old goalkeeper, but the shot lacked power, and Schalke cleared the danger near the goal line. Olise also quickly tested Karius, but the home goalkeeper continued to make saves.

As the match drew to a close, Bayern pushed their formation higher. Attacks were almost continuous towards Schalke's penalty area, while the hosts retreated deep and concentrated players to protect the area in front of their goal.

The disparity was evident in the statistics. Center-back Jonathan Tah even completed 126 accurate passes out of 130 attempts, illustrating that much of the match saw Bayern circulating the ball in Schalke's half.

Late in the game, Kane found space outside the penalty area and unleashed a powerful shot towards the top corner. This was one of Bayern's clearest opportunities to secure three points, but Karius made a diving save. After the match, Neuer also praised his counterpart, stating that Karius deserved the man-of-the-match award.

Goalkeeper Loris Karius blocks the ball directly in front of Dayot Upamecano during Schalke's 0-0 draw with Bayern in Bundesliga round two in Gelsenkirchen, Germany on 5/9. *Photo: AP*

His performance was particularly noteworthy given Karius's unique career. The German goalkeeper was brought to Liverpool from Mainz and became the English club's number one stopper, but his career took a different turn after the 2018 Champions League final. Two errors contributed to Liverpool's 1-3 loss to Real in Kiev.

Karius subsequently played for Besiktas, Union Berlin, and Newcastle before returning to Germany. At Schalke, he gradually rediscovered a regular playing position. In this season's opening round, despite Schalke's 0-3 loss to Augsburg, Karius still made 10 saves – the most in the Bundesliga for that round. One week later, he kept a clean sheet against Bayern, helping Schalke earn their first point since returning to the Bundesliga.

It was the first time Bayern had failed to score in a Bundesliga match in over 18 months. Kompany, however, did not criticize his players. The Belgian coach congratulated Schalke and maintained that Bayern had created enough chances to win.

The match was also significant for Neuer. The Bayern captain was born in Gelsenkirchen, developed through the Schalke academy, and became the first-team goalkeeper before transferring to Bayern in 2011. A section of the home crowd still booed Neuer whenever he touched the ball.

The draw left Bayern with only four points after two rounds. Meanwhile, Dortmund and Freiburg both maintained perfect records, and newcomer Elversberg caused a surprise by also securing six points. Dortmund came from behind to beat Hoffenheim 3-2, Freiburg defeated Paderborn 1-0, and Elversberg won 4-3 against Mönchengladbach on the same day. Consequently, Bayern relinquished the number one position for the first time since 9/2024.

Vy Anh