Maybe it was the artificial crowd noise. Perhaps it was the fear of setting a club record of 13 matches without a win. Or a simpler explanation could be pride.
Schalke's source of motivation was unclear, but that will be of little importance to head coach David Wagner. A reinvigorated performance this afternoon helped them take one small step on the road to redemption, and allayed fears surrounding the immediate security of Wagner's job.
The hosts were in freefall heading into today's fixture, with the coronavirus-enforced hiatus failing to exorcise any pre-lockdown woes. Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, were buoyed by the return of wunderkind Kai Havertz and primely positioned to assume control of fourth spot.
A late equaliser courtesy of a Juan Miranda own goal would earn the visitors a deserved point, consigning this Schalke side to unwanted history, but the gutsy nature of the hosts' performance was a symbol of hope for Schalke fans, however small it may be.
Story of the match
Weston McKennie wasted no time in announcing his return to the starting XI, stinging the paws of Lukáš Hrádecký with a venomous strike from distance.
The American was everywhere in the opening stages, driving his team forwards. Schalke pressed feverishly, preventing Leverkusen from hitting their fluid stride.
The turbo-charged home side were unrecognisable from the lethargic corpses that trudged to a turgid defeat at home to Werder Bremen two weeks ago. The question was always how long it would last.
Not long, it seemed, after Lucas Alario headed home Nadiem Amiri's free-kick to give Leverkusen a momentary lead. David Wagner was relieved to see the goal ruled out for offside.
A strong start in Gelsenkirchen has bought Wagner precious time from the Schalke hierarchy amidst the turmoil, though the 12-game winless run has seen their patience wear thin. Another lifeless defeat, to cement his place in the history book for all the wrong reasons, may not have been tolerated.
He need not worry as veteran winger Daniel Caligiuri gave Schalke the lead from the spot in the 51st minute after a VAR review had spotted an Edmond Tapsoba handball.
It was Schalke's just rewards after an impressive start, yet - as Leverkusen's influence grew - the home side were forced to retreat and do all they could to protect the goal.
Kai Havertz was a shadow of his usual self today, but even this resolute Schalke outfit weren't immune from a flicker of his gilded quality as he skipped past Juan Miranda and picked out Alario in the box.
Then, in the 58th minute, pandemonium unfolded. After Schalke kicked the ball into touch with a player down injured, the typical sporting conduct would have involved Leverkusen passing back to Schalke's goalkeeper, Alexander Nübel.
Instead, Wendell played a nondescript pass down the line after receiving the ball from a throw-in, which Alario, outrageously, would then latch on to. The Argentine was smothered by Nubel as he beared down on goal.
All hell would break loose as Schalke confronted Alario over his actions, leading to a mass brawl after which Alario and Caliguiri would both be cautioned. The real worry for Schalke, though, lied elsewhere.
They had defended stoically, but Leverkusen were gathering steam.
In the 81st minute, their momentum would materialise into substance as Wendell bravely nipped in front of Caliguiri with his head and picked out Paulinho in the six-yard box. The Brazilian looked to have slotted the ball home himself, but it was later revealed that Miranda got the definitive touch.
Pursuing an invaluable winner, a succession of chances fell the way of the visitors as Charles Aránguiz struck the side netting from the edge of the box and Sven Bender headed wide from a corner.
To climax another breathtaking supply of action from the Bundesliga, Schalke would come even closer to snatching all three points in the dying embers of injury time, as Michael Gregoritsch headed back across goal, only to be denied by a fully-stretched Hrádecký.
Takeaways
Another missed opportunity for Leverkusen
The race for the pearly gates of Champions League qualification has rarely been as closely-contested in Germany's top-flight, though the fine margins aren't exaclty testament to scintillating form from Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach since the restart.
Gladbach's defeat to Bayern Munich presented Leverkusen with an opportunity to move three points clear of Marco Rose's men in the fourth and final Champions League spot. However, just as Gladbach did a week prior against Freiburg, Leverkusen fluffed their lines.
A sub-par performance from Havertz played its part, but as each week passes and the two sides continue to cancel out eachother's missteps, you begin to wonder which side wants the Tuesday nights at the Bernabeu, and which side wants the Thursday nights in Baku.
Man of the match - Weston McKennie
Among a team of unproven tyros that have faltered in recent weeks amidst the mounting pressure, Weston McKennie - although only 21 himself - led his teammates like a battle-hardened professional this afternoon.
The tenacious midfielder provided an injection of impetus to the middle of the park upon his return from suspension, and constantly put his side on the front foot with his energy and zest.
McKennie has made headlines for different, more important reasons in recent weeks after wearing an armband with the words "Justice for George" written on the front against Werder Bremen, a tribute to the death of George Floyd in US police custody. Jadon Sancho and Marcus Thuram would launch separate campaigns that week as the Bundesliga took a powerful stance against racism.
Today, though, served as a glimmering reminder of McKennie's footballing qualities, and of the bright future that lies ahead of him.
