Football singularity

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As Rakim reached the ball, the stutter step froze Nübel for just a beat. The keeper twitched low to his right, but that was all the invitation Rakim needed. He opened his body and swept the ball to the opposite corner with the inside of his right foot—a smooth, ice-cold finish that kissed the side netting.

"Cool as you like!" Derek Rae roared, his voice rising with the moment. "A finish dripping with confidence from the teenager!"

"Absolutely ice in his veins, Derek," Robson agreed. "After a run like that to earn the penalty, it takes real composure to slot it home. That lad's got something special about him."

Rakim didn't celebrate wildly. Instead, he jogged toward the camera at the corner, clapping his hands in the air. Smiling at scoring his 28th Bundesliga goal of the season, he still preferred free kicks and solo goals.

[Schalke 1–2 Leverkusen: Rakim Rex 52']

[55]

Schalke tried to respond quickly, kicking off with urgency, their front line suddenly bursting with renewed energy. David Wagner gestured wildly from the touchline, instructing McKennie and Bozdogan to push higher, encouraging the wide players to be more direct. Turning up the pressure before Leverkusen could settle back into their rhythm was the plan.

The Royal Blues surged forward, with Kutucu dropping deep to receive a pass and neatly spinning away from Aránguiz. He slid a pass into Caligiuri on the left, who squared up Weiser and attempted a low cross into the box—but it was Bender who read it early, cutting it out with a well-timed block.

"Schalke looking more direct here," Robson commented. "But they need to be if they want to get back into this game."

[59']

Rakim, who had spent the last few minutes lurking on the left touchline, got on the end of a long switch from Demirbay. He controlled it with his chest, then immediately played a one-two with Havertz that left Kenny chasing after him. Rakim took on Kabak next—flicking the ball to his right, teasing the defender before dropping his shoulder and darting past on the left. But just as he opened his hips to shape a shot, Oczipka lunged across to block the strike, sending the ball deflecting wide for a corner.

[61]

Demirbay jogged across to take the set piece from the right, signalling with a quick flick of his hand before sending in a whipped ball toward the near post. "Plenty of movement in the box here," Derek Rae narrated. "Watch Tapsoba…"

And it was indeed Tapsoba who met the cross with a glancing header. But it didn't quite have the angle. The ball flicked on across the face of the goal before Nubel managed to smother it amid a forest of legs. "And it was almost three, he'll be wondering how none of his teammates managed to slot that one in."

[65]

Schalke's frustrations began to bubble as they began playing a more physical style of football. Tackles became more ruthless and decisive, not giving their opponents a chance to display their superior techniques. In one such tackle, McKennie, having already been warned earlier in the match for a questionable tackle, lunged in late on Demirbay near the halfway line after losing possession.

This time the ref didn't hesitate and out came the yellow without a hint of mercy. "Not smart from McKennie," Robson observed. "He's walking a tightrope now." It was Schalke's third yellow of the night, following cautions to Caligiuri [34'] and Oczipka [43'], both for rash challenges on Amiri. Leverkusen, meanwhile, had also picked up two yellows—Rakim himself earning one earlier for dissent after a no-call, and Aránguiz booked for a tactical foul to break up a counter.

[70']

With twenty minutes left on the clock, Peter Bosz decided it was time for fresh legs. The fourth official raised the board:

---

🔁 Leverkusen substitutions:

OFF: Rakim Rex, Kai Havertz, Nadiem Amiri

ON: Moussa Diaby, Kevin Volland, Paulinho

---

"Three high-quality subs, Stewart?" Derek asked with a hint of interest. "Diaby's pace, Volland's strength, and Paulinho's trickery should do well to keep their opponents honest, limiting how far forward they wander."

"Indeed, it's a smart change," Robson added. "All three starters had worked tirelessly, and now Bosz can stretch the game again in the final phase."

As Rakim trotted off, he exchanged an elbow tap with Diaby and received a pat on the back from Bosz. It hadn't been his most electric performance, but the solo run and penalty conversion had been game-changing. Overall, he had done enough to leave a noticeable impact in the game, and he was satisfied.

[73']

Schalke responded with a double substitution of their own:

---

🔁 Schalke substitutions:

OFF: Kutucu, Boujellab

ON: Michael Gregoritsch, Levent Mercan

---

The changes added more energy to Schalke's attack, and within minutes, the Austrian Gregoritsch made an impact, latching onto a through ball from Schöpf. He fired off a low shot to the bottom right corner that stung Hradecky's palms. "Great stop from the Leverkusen keeper!" Derek called. "Matondo almost made himself an instant hero."

[79']

Schalke's best chance came from a corner earned after Weiser deflected a Bozdogan cross. Bozdogan himself stepped up to take it, and he whipped the corner in with venom, aiming just beyond the penalty spot. It was a teasing delivery that drew Hradecky out slightly—but it was Gregoritsch who rose highest, beating Bender in the air. The Austrian met it with a thumping header that screamed toward the far corner.

But just as the Schalke bench began to rise in expectation, Lukas Hradecky flung himself across his goal in a full stretch and palmed it wide with a stunning reflex save. "Outstanding goalkeeping!" Derek Rae shouted, voice rising with disbelief. "That's a world-class stop from Hradecky—absolutely denied Gregoritsch!"

"Top, top save," Stewart Robson echoed, shaking his head slightly. "He's not had much to do in this second half, but when called upon, he's reminded us exactly why he's one of the league's best."

[82']

The save seemed to suck the wind out of Schalke's sails. Leverkusen, sensing their opponents' fatigue and growing desperation, began to control the ball with greater ease. Volland dropped deep to link up play, using his frame to shield the ball from the tiring McKennie, while Paulinho and Diaby continued to attack the flanks.

Diaby, on one occasion, picked up the ball just inside the halfway line, burst down the left wing, leaving Kenny trailing. Having got used to Rakim's attacking style, he failed to adjust to the change quickly enough, allowing Diby to cut in behind him. He delivered a curving low cross across the six-yard box, but it missed everyone by inches—Paulinho just a second too late to tap it in.

[85']

Another yellow card was issued, this time to Schalke's Schöpf, who cynically pulled back Demirbay during a promising break. The referee had seen enough leniency and immediately brandished the caution. It was the home side's fourth booking of the match—discipline clearly starting to unravel under pressure.

"They've just been a step behind all second half," Robson noted. "The legs are going, and so is the tactical discipline."

[88']

With the match entering its final moments, Leverkusen reverted to a more conservative shape. Aránguiz tucked in just ahead of the centre-backs, and Bender took charge of organising the line. Demirbay, still full of running, continued to snap into challenges and launch quick releases for the counter.

In the 88th minute, Schalke made one last push—Caligiuri lofted a cross from deep into the box, hoping for a knockdown. But Tapsoba, a tower of calm all evening, rose tallest and powered a clearing header out to Diaby, who had peeled wide for the out ball.

[90']

Diaby brought the ball under control and galloped into the Schalke half, dragging Kenny and McKennie with him. He slowed and neatly held it in the corner, earning valuable seconds and drawing another foul. From the ensuing free-kick, Demirbay swung it deep toward the back post. Volland attacked it, and though his header sailed just over the bar, it ate up valuable minutes.

[90+3']

The fourth official raised the board: 4 minutes of added time.

Schalke threw everything forward now. Even Nübel stood near the halfway line, watching anxiously as Oczipka heaved a long throw into the box. It was chaotic—bodies clashing, shirts tugged—but once again, it was Tapsoba who rose above it all and cleared with authority.

Leverkusen countered again through Paulinho, who drove into open space and calmly held off his pursuers. When they finally managed to stop him, it was too late. The referee blew his whistle for the final time, ending the match.

[FULL TIME: Schalke 1 – 2 Leverkusen]