Highlights

Full-time
90'
+ 1

How long left?

We've got three additonal minutes to be played.
90'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes

information
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 90 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
1.
Dejan Ljubicic
Dejan Ljubicic33.36km/h
2.
Tom Krauß
Tom Krauß33.25km/h
3.
Marius Bülter
Marius Bülter33.04km/h
89'

Hotting up?

A couple of challenges and the desire for a late winner have seen things hot up in the closing minutes on the pitch. But it must be cold in Gelsenkirchen if Baumgart has put a hoodie on over his t-shirt.
88'

Couple of bookings

Some perhaps tired or desperate tackles from Hübers and then Skhiri earn the Cologne men cautions.
84'

Zalazar!

Again the substitute pops up between defenders, this time meeting a cross from the left, but he plants his effort wide of the left post.
83'

Odds of a home win?

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Odds of a home win?
No events so far in the game have helped tip the odds towards a Schalke win. Same can be said for Cologne as well, in fairness. Their win probability has dropped from 37% at kick-off to six now.
0'
34.3 %
Now
10.5 %
81'

On the counter...

Cologne break from a Schalke corner. It's three against two, ball goes right to Kainz, but his cross fails to pick out a red shirt and the attack comes to nothing.
80'

Chances mounting

No Schalke home game or Cologne away game this season has ended goalless. Chances are coming, but Cologne in particularly are yet to test the goalkeeper.
Goal attempts
10off target
2on target
7off target
0on target
78'

Substitution

75'

Now Adamyan

Chances starting to flow from open play now. Adamyan is the latest to flash an effort wide going across goal. You feel like there's at least a goal in this still.
73'

Zalazar!

Latza bursts through the middle but the ball is knocked away from him. It lands at the feet of Zalazar, who hits it first time from the edge of the box and can only watch it fizz narrowly wide.
69'

Big cheer for Zalazar

The home crowd give the Uruguayan a warm welcome as he makes his first appearance since October after a broken metatarsal.
66'

Schalke the more likely?

information
xGoals
The xGoals value of a club is calculated from the sum of all goal probabilities (goals and shots on goal) of that team. During a match, it’s easy to see whether the club is performing better than expected (goals > xGoals) - or maybe even higher (xGoals > goals).
Cologne have hit the crossbar but have had very little else in the way of chances. Most we've seen have been created by the hosts.
xGoals
0
1.05
0.18
0
Goals
65'

Krauß!

Inches away from the Leipzig-owned midfielder as he meets a corner with his head from six yards out and the ball skims just over the crossbar.
61'

Some fresh legs

It's like-for-like up front from Schalke boss Reis as Frey replaces Terodde. Martel for Olesen is a slightly more defensive move in midfield, but Adamyan for Maina maintains Cologne's attacking presence around Tigges.
59'

Approaching the hour

We're about to reach that point where coaches make changes. Cologne have two players ready to come on, but not until after a Schalke corner...
58'

Toe-to-toe for tempo

Sprints
144
146
55'

Spell of pressure

Kozuki miscues a header in the box but the ball comes back to him in a shooting position right of goal. It's blocked but the ball stays with Schalke. Cross to the far post looks for Terodde, but Schmitz beats the ex-Cologne striker to it at the expense of a corner.
52'

Wide from Skarke

Schalke try to respond to that Cologne chance as Skarke takes aim from 25 yards, but it's dragged well wide by the new signing.
51'

Off the bar!

Couple of times Hübers got his head to a set piece in the first half without posing much of a threat. He's come mighty close this time, though, meeting a bouncing free-kick at the front post and turning it onto the crossbar with his head from just a few yards out.
46'

Couple of changes

After a false start with Schalke players running over the halfway line, the hosts finally get us back under way. It's a double change at the break for Cologne as well, with the expected swap of Steffen Tigges for the injured Selke. Kingsley Schindler is also on for captain Jonas Hector.
Kick-off!
45'
+ 3

Substitution

45'
+ 3

Nothing between them

Half-time whistle goes as Selke hobbles his way up the Veltins-Arena tunnel before the rest of the teams follow him to the changing room. There's been little in the way of clear-cut chances since Jenz's second-minute header, but plenty of attacking intent from both sides.
Half-time
45'
+ 1

Added time

We'll have two additional minutes as Selke returns and then pulls up again. Looks like his first start for Cologne will only last 45 minutes.
45'

Another stoppage

Selke goes up for a header in the centre circle and seems to land awkwardly. There's another stoppage as the Cologne medical staff make their way out to help.
44'

Not been one for the strikers yet

Shots
2
2
Danny Latza Timo Hübers
39'

Terodde too late

The striker tries to press Chabot in possession from a goal-kick but catches the defender late with the ball already gone.
38'

Too intricate!

First time all game Schalke have worked their way into the box from open play. Latza exchanges passes and looks to try and play a killer ball into the feet of Terodde, but it's overhit from too close and the striker is livid with his captain.
35'

Brunner booked

Kainz twists inside the Schalke full-back, who slips and tries to recover by hauling the Austrian down. Free-kick on the left of the area and a yellow card.
31'

Strong start from Jenz

The new man got in the block on Maina a few moments ago. He's also yet to lose a challenge in his first 30 minutes of life in the Bundesliga.
30'

Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes

information
Speed check: The fastest player in the game after 30 minutes
Through high-end camera technology and machine learning, the speed of each player is evaluated in real time. Top speed then means, the fastest measured single frame of a player/game.
1.
Dejan Ljubicic
Dejan Ljubicic33.36km/h
2.
Marius Bülter
Marius Bülter33.04km/h
3.
Linton Maina
Linton Maina32.79km/h
27'

Chance for Maina!

Still no telling shot from Cologne but Linton Maina should've got one away here. Cutback from the right that could've been hit first time on his right foot from right of the penalty spot, but he take a touch and it allows defenders to swarm him and make a block.
25'

A similar passing game

Cologne have been that bit more careful with their distribution, though.
Passes
89
87
24'

A ticking off

Bit of something over nothing between a number of players. Referee Jöllenbeck tells them to behave and get on with things.
21'

Final ball missing again

Cologne have their first chance at a break as the ball falls kindly for Ljubicic. He's away up the right, picks his head up to see two red shirts in the box, but his ball is behind both of them.
19'

Delivery still not right

Kainz leaves a free-kick on the left to Hector this time. Again it's cleared by the first man but comes back out to the Cologne skipper. He plays it to Kainz, but his touch allows Brunner to step in before he can cross.
camera-photo

Early Jenz attempt

The defender's header is still the only effort on goal we've seen with just over a quarter of an hour gone.
13'

Royal Blues winning the early duels

Tackles won
14
10
12'

Set pieces

Kainz over a free-kick wide on the left this time. It's curled towards the near post but again intercepted.
11'

Another corner

Schalke are playing with pace but Cologne are up to their fourth corner already. It's Kainz to deliver from the right once more, but for the fourth time it's cleared with no danger.
6'

Breathless

This game has started with the tempo you'd expect from a Cologne fixture but it's Schalke who are looking the livelier. The Royal Blues look to break with the pace of Kozuki but he's tracked by the covering Maina, who knocks the ball back to safety.
3'

Almost the perfect start!

Schalke start on the front foot and very nearly make the perfect start as debutant Jenz meets a cross from the right from close range. Schwäbe looks to be beaten in the Cologne goal but somehow reacts in time to claw it away - almost behind him - with his right hand.
Kick-off!

Big embrace

Coaches Reis and Baumgart have a lengthy hug on the touchline just before kick-off. The Cologne boss will know how his counterpart is feeling after he was relegated with Paderborn a few years ago.
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Experience needed for Schalke?

The inclusion of 34-year-olds Fährmann and Terodde means this is Schalke's oldest starting XI for almost 18 years, coming in at just shy of 29 years.

Transfer news

While Schalke confirmed late last night that Jordan Larsson will spend the rest of the season on loan at Copenhagen, Cologne have just a few minutes ago announced that they'll be loaning Ondrej Duda to Hellas Verona for the remainder of 2022/23.
0:26
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Watch: Schalke fans show support at training

It hasn't been an easy season back in the top flight for Schalke, and the mood could've hit rock bottom after 3-0 and 6-1 defeats to Frankfurt and Leipzig respectively to start 2023. But the Gelsenkirchen faithful have rallied around the team in some style this week.

Cologne team news

It’s just three changes from Steffen Baumgart as he brings in some fresh legs after Tuesday’s battling 1-1 draw in Munich. Davie Selke gets his first start for the club in place of Steffen Tigges – despite some talk of them getting paired together – and Dejan Ljubicic is in for Denis Huseinbasic. Timo Hübers is fit again after a spell of flu and replaces Nikola Soldo in central defence.

Schalke team news

Thomas Reis has made four changes from the side thumped here by Leipzig on Tuesday. One of those is unexpected as Ralf Fährmann replaces Alexander Schwolow in goal for his first competitive outing since playing away at Nuremberg in the second division in May 2022. Henning Matriciani and Michael Frey drop to the bench, while Jordan Larsson has left on loan. Simon Terodde comes in up front, while new signings Tim Skarke and Moritz Jenz make their debuts. It’s the former’s first start in the Bundesliga after three sub appearances with Union Berlin. Ex-Celtic man Jenz is playing his first game in Germany after joining this week.
0:09
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Watch: Inside the visitors' changing room

COLOGNE STARTING XI:

Schwäbe - Schmitz, Hübers, Chabot, Hector (c) – Skhiri, Ljubicic - Maina, Olesen, Kainz - Selke

SCHALKE STARTING XI:

Fährmann - Brunner, Yoshida, Jenz, Uronen - Latza (c), Krauß - Kozuki, Bülter, Skarke – Terodde

SUPPORT FOR SCHALKE

“I’m sure it will give us a boost,” teased Thomas Reis ahead of Schalke’s final training session on Saturday, but even he probably did not expect to see over 2,000 fans turn up to cheer them on. Stick with us for footage of a very special training session.
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EVERYBODY UNDER EXAMINATION

There could well be consequences from that defeat, with Reis saying “nobody is untouchable” in his squad. “It’s all about the team and Schalke, so only the best should play,” he said.

REIS' ROCK BOTTOM RUSE

Things can only get better for Schalke coach Thomas Reis, following their 6-1 defeat to RB Leipzig on Tuesday. “We played a really poor game on Tuesday,” he admitted. “You’ve got to be winning the decisive challenges and you’ve definitely got to send out a message, but we didn’t manage that.”
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COLOGNE TEAM DECISIONS

At the end of an exhausting Englische Woche, Baumgart explained his thought process in picking his team for Sunday – almost revealing too much. “There will be one or two changes,” Baumgart said. “There are still a few question marks over who will start. maybe we even start with both Tigges and Selke, but if I don’t stop talking, I’ll end up splurting out the whole starting XI.”

BAUMGART SOUNDS A WARNING

Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart is not expecting an easy ride against struggling Schalke. “Every game’s going to be like a final for Schalke now,” he predicted. “We’re going to have to have our intensity to be able to play the game we want to play.”
0:30
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Watch: Get ready for Schalke vs. Cologne!