Schalke recorded their second win of the season, as they overcame Mainz 05 3-0 at home, with Max Meyer scoring the Royal Blues’s second goal. Meanwhile, Leipzig rose to second place after their 3-1 win over Werder Bremen, with Serge Gnabry pulling one back, after Naby Keita scored twice for Leipzig.
Bentaleb and Mayer lead Schalke to victory
Schalke are slowly making their way into the Bundesliga season. Three weeks after their 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach, the Royal Blues overcame Mainz 3-0 at home. Olympic silver medal winner Max Meyer scored his first goal of the season (48’), in between two Nabil Bentaleb strikes (23’, 61’). After their second Bundesliga win, Schalke climb to 14th in the table, while Mainz move down two places into ninth.
In a sold out VELTINS-Arena, Schalke initially found it hard going, as Mainz were compact in defence and looked to play on the counter, without threatening Ralf Fährmann’s goal. Schalke then went ahead with the first chance of the game. Yunus Malli lost the ball in midfield, with Schalke then looking to pounce fast. Franco di Santo’s knock down from Leon Goretska’s cross fell to Nabil Bentaleb, who hammered the ball past Jonas Lössl (23’).
Schalke then doubled their lead almost immediately after the break, after Max Meyer swept home Franco di Santo’s cutback (48’). Mainz then had a chance to pull one back through Jhon Cordoba, but he missed his one-on-one chance (58’). Schalke then sealed the victory in the 63rd minute, when Bentaleb hit it past Lössl in the Mainz goal, from Kolasinac cross on the left-hand side. Schalke then controlled the game until the final whistle, recording a comfortable victory.
Leipzig continue superb run of form
Newly promoted RB Leipzig moved up to second place in the Bundesliga on Sunday after beating Werder Bremen 3-1 at home. With 18 points, RB Leipzig are now only two points behind leaders Bayern München. Naby Keita scored his first ever brace in the Bundesliga for RB Leipzig. Olympic silver medalist Serge Gnabry got a goal back for Werder Bremen, his third in seven Bundesliga appearances. Germany U21 international Davie Selke scored the third goal for RB Leipzig in the fifth minute of injury time to seal the win. 42,558 fans watched the match in the Red Bull Arena.
Werder Bremen couldn’t do anything to stop Keita’s solo goal in the 21st minute. With a bit of luck, Keita beat half of the Werder defence, went round their keeper and scored from a tight angle to put RB Leipzig in the lead. Bremen didn’t do anything to trouble the Leipzig defence with their only chance coming from Ousman Manneh in the 31st minute.
Werder Bremen started the second half well. Bernardo prevented Gnabry from getting an equaliser in the 49th minute. RB Leipzig took control of the match again from the 60th minute and Wiedwald had to make a double-save against Forsberg and Poulsen to keep his team in the game.
RB Leipzig won the ball and moved on the counter, when substitute Davie Selke put in a great cross for Keita, who headed the ball home to make it 2-0. Leipzig were still celebrating when Gnabry got one back for Werder from close range. Gnabry could have scored the equaliser just two minutes before the final whistle had he not been in an offside position. Leipzig scored their third goal on the counter attack through Davie Selke, who slotted the ball in the open Werder goal.
