Schalke back to winning ways
Gelsenkirchen - FC Schalke 04 got over the disappointment of last weekend's defeat to FC Bayern Munich by overcoming 1. FSV Mainz 05 3-0 in the Veltins Arena thanks to goals from Jefferson Farfan, Lewis Holtby and Teemu Pukki.
Farfan on the spot
Huub Stevens' side began the match with something of a point to prove after the weekend defeat at home to FC Bayern Munich. After five minutes, Kyriakos Papadopoulos' towering header was cleared off the line before Marco Höger, in for the rested Julian Draxler, forced Mainz keeper Christian Wetklo to acrobatically tip the rebound over the bar.
Huub Stevens' side began the match with something of a point to prove after the weekend defeat at home to FC Bayern Munich. After five minutes, Kyriakos Papadopoulos' towering header was cleared off the line before Marco Höger, in for the rested Julian Draxler, forced Mainz keeper Christian Wetklo to acrobatically tip the rebound over the bar.
The home side's pressure began to tell and, after a sustained period of possession outside the Mainz 18-yard box, were given the break they needed when Junior Diaz clumsily felled captain Benedikt Höwedes, resulting in a penalty that Farfan converted with aplomb. The home team continued to dominate possession after the break, but struggle to create clear-cut openings, to the audible frustration of the home fans.
It eventually took until the final ten minutes for the result to be put beyond doubt. After Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had uncharacteristically fired over the bar from just yards out, Holtby popped up to glance in Christian Fuch's cross for his third goal of the season. Substitute Pukki then added a somewhat glossy finish to the scoreline as he tapped in to make it 3-0, a result that ever so slightly flattered the Royal Blues.
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