Gelsenkirchen (dpa) - Bayer Leverkusen set course for the Champions League with a happy draw against FC Schalke 04's Notelf.
The Werkself closed 1-1 at the Revierclub at the end of matchday 31, making the longest winning run of the royal blues in Bundesliga history perfect. Captain Daniel Caligiuri put Schalke in the lead with a contentious penalty in the 51st minute on Sunday evening. An own goal by Schalke's Juan Miranda after a shot from substitute Paulinho (81st) helped Leverkusen to jump to fourth place in the table. The Werkself are now one point ahead of their rival Mönchengladbach.
Schalke is now 13 consecutive games without a win and has exceeded the negative record from the 1993/1994 season when the team was unsuccessful twelve times between the 3rd and 14th matchday under the coaches Helmut Schulte and Jörg Berger.
Schalke coach David Wagner had to do without a total of ten injured players, including Benito Raman (back problems). U19 captain Can Bozdogan from the Knappenschmiede celebrated his Bundesliga debut - and did a good job in the left midfield. In general, the youngest Schalke starting eleven sold surprisingly well against their big favorite for three years thanks to the recent lack of willingness to run.
Although Leverkusen had more than twice as much possession as expected, despite the return of international Kai Havertz to the team, it was rarely dangerous. The hosts had a better chance. Weston McKennie goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky, who was reinstated after his yellow card suspension in Berlin, checked in the second minute with a long-range shot, which the Finn bounced forward. Ahmed Kutucu followed, but also the ball next to the goal. Even with a shot from Caligiuri (27th) Hradecky had trouble.
The Bayer team, which recently stood out strongly, looked strangely uninspired and not very determined. Lukas Alario (22nd) headed to the corner and an Argentinian goal given offside after a free kick by Nadiem Amiri (40th) did not bring the Werkself away for five games until the break.
The hosts rewarded themselves with the happy leadership shortly after the change. When Bayer's defender Edmond Tapsoba touched the ball with his hand, Berlin referee Daniel Siebert watched the scene again on video and decided on a penalty. Caligiuri made a safe move, and Bayer responded with increased attack efforts. But Schalke goalkeeper Alexander Nübel initially saved his team several times from the final phase before the possible equalization - until he was then powerless.
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Squad FC Schalke 04
Squad Bayer Leverkusen