2. Bundesliga: Ten-man Schalke hold firm to claim vital win over Elversberg

2. Bundesliga: Ten-man Schalke hold firm to claim vital win over Elversberg

In a high-stakes clash at the top of the 2. Bundesliga table, Schalke overcame the odds to take all three points despite playing much of the second half with ten men. Goals from Luca Schnellbacher and Soufian El-Faouzi set the tone early on, before Sylla’s winner ultimately separated the sides.

Elversberg made a dream start, striking after just four minutes. With Schalke committing bodies forward for a set piece, the hosts broke quickly, and after the initial cross wasn’t cleared, the ball fell kindly to Schnellbacher, who made no mistake from close range to give his side the lead.

The home side controlled the early exchanges, but Schalke gradually grew into the contest and found their equaliser in the 27th minute. With Elversberg briefly down to ten men due to an injury, Timo Becker delivered a cross from the right byline, which El-Faouzi met with a stunning acrobatic overhead kick to level the score at 1-1.

The remainder of the first half continued at a relentless pace, with both sides pushing forward, but clear-cut chances proved scarce as the teams went into the break level.

Schalke’s task became significantly tougher early in the second half. Just six minutes after the restart, Moussa N’Diaye was shown a second yellow card for a challenge on Lukas Petkov, reducing the visitors to ten men - a decision that appeared harsh on replay.

However, Schalke responded in emphatic fashion. Just five minutes after the dismissal, they stunned the hosts by taking the lead. Dejan Ljubicic surged down the right, beating Lasse Günther before delivering a dangerous cross that Sylla cleverly diverted past Nicolas Kristof to make it 2-1.

With the numerical advantage, Elversberg dominated possession for the remainder of the match but struggled to break down a resolute Schalke defence. The visitors remained disciplined and compact, frustrating their opponents who were largely restricted to circulating the ball around the edge of the area.

The hosts’ best opportunity to salvage a point came right on 90 minutes, when Maximilian Rohr met a free-kick unmarked in the box, but his header was directed straight at Loris Karius. Schalke held firm through five minutes of added time to secure a crucial victory.

The win keeps Schalke top of the table and opens up a five-point gap to third place with five games remaining, while Elversberg are left to rue a missed opportunity as they stay fourth.