On Matchday 21, Schalke faced a tough away trip to Bayer Leverkusen. If Bayer Leverkusen could get all three points it would take them four points ahead of third placed Borussia Dortmund and also the win would take them thirteen points behind league leaders Bayern Munich. Bayer Leverkusen nursing a shock defeat in mid-week to Bundesliga.2 side Kaiserslautern in the DFB Pokal.
A win for Schalke would make them only second team to beat Bayer Leverkusen at the Bay Arena in the league also a win would put them just two points behind Ruhr rivals Borussia Dortmund in third place.
Schalke settled the quicker of the two sides. After four minutes Schalke had a costless kick. Bayer Leverkusen sat unusually far back from this set piece. Jefferson Farfan’s delivery just missed the head of Joel Matip.
After the scare, Bayer Leverkusen pushed for the first goal. Leverkusen had a chance to go one nil up when Lars Bender burst down the right wing, his cross-found Stefan Kießling, but his shot was well saved by Ralf Fahrmann. Soon after they had another chance to go one ahead when Heung-Min Son was put through on goal but once again Ralf Fahrmann stood in the home side's way.
Schalke withstood the heavy pressure for Leverkusen and on eighteen minutes they had a chance through Klaas-Jan Huntelaar whose header went over the bar from a Jefferson Farfan cross.
Bayer Leverkusen had another brief spell of attacking play; Roberto Hilbert delivered a dangerous ball into Schalke’s box, Sebastian Boenisch met the cross but his header went past the post.
After twenty-seven minutes, Leon Goretzka disposed Lars Bender in a dangerous area of the pitch. As Bernd Leno rushes out Goretzka lobs him the on-coming keeper to make it 1-0 Schalke. Schalke attacked from then, Boateng had a shot from forty yards out which went just over the bar.
At half time Bayer Leverkusen was one to the good.
The second half resumed and Bayer Leverkusen looked the stronger side. Just after the break, Leverkusen had a costless kick in a dangerous position it played short to Heung-Min Son but his shot was blocked on the penalty spot. Stefan Kießling received the ball rounded the keeper but Santana got across in time to tackle the Leverkusen target man.
Schalke had opportunities to add to their lead. Jefferson Farfan had a costless kick at the edge the box but it hit the grazed the bar and hit the sanctions behind the goal.
For most of the second half Schalke had their backs against the wall but in the sixty-sixth minute Bayer Leverkusen were back level. The corner came in evaded all the players to the surprise of Schalke defender Felipe Santana hit his knee and nestled into the top corner. After this stroke of luck, Leverkusen looked rejuvenated and pushed for the their second goal. Stefan Kießling turned goal-scorer to playmaker as he fed Gonzalo Castro but his shot was well wide.
Just two minutes after the Castro miss, Schalke had a costless kick and Leverkusen’s defence was unusually far back. Farfan delivered the diagonal ball from the costless kick and Huntelaar flicked it on to make it 2-1 Schalke.
In the last five minutes it was a nervous time for the team and fans as Leverkusen pressed. On numerous occasions Bayer Leverkusen came close. Simon Rolfles forced a great save from Ralf Fahrmann from close range in the eighty-ninth minute. In the dying moments of the game, Omer Torpak’s header hits the bar.
This close game finished Bayer Leverkusen 1-2 FC Schalke.
The loss for Leverkusen keeps them one point in front of Borussia Dortmund and it was only their second defeat at home in the Bundesliga this season. Their second loss in a row in all competitons.
For Schalke the win takes them six points clear of Borussia Mönchengladbach in fifth place. Shedding some light between the Champions League and Europa League places. The win for Schalke means their unbeaten run extends to six matches.