Having secured a 4-1 victory against Preußen Münster, who occupied the bottom spot, FC Schalke 04 solidified their position at the top of the 2. Bundesliga table following the 30th matchday.
The “Royal Blues” displayed a commanding performance right from the start, further fueling their aspirations for promotion to the Bundesliga. They led at halftime with a comfortable 2-0 advantage, setting the tone for their decisive win. Kenan Karaman broke the deadlock in the 36th minute, nodding in the opener after a cross from Ljubicic. Just before the break, Schalke increased their lead through an own goal scored by Jannis Heuer following a corner from Aouchiche. Münster had struggled to mount significant attacking threats during the first half.
Schalke maintained their attacking pressure after the break. In the 51st minute, Adil Aouchiche capitalized on a mistake by the Münster goalkeeper, Schenk, to score the third goal. Moussa Sylla added the fourth goal in the 66th minute, slotting the ball into the net from close range after a pass from Karaman. However, the visitors managed to score an honorary goal in the 82nd minute, courtesy of Shin Yamada.
With this win, Schalke now hold a three-point lead over the second-placed Paderborn, while Münster remains three points adrift at the bottom of the league. For Schalke, the action continues next Sunday in a major clash against Paderborn, with Münster scheduled to play Bielefeld on the day before. Results from the parallel fixtures on Sunday afternoon were: Eintracht Braunschweig vs. Hertha BSC 1-1, and SpVgg Greuther Fürth vs. Darmstadt 98 3-2.