Schalke down Mainz in Bundesliga

German football club Schalke secured their second victory in row after beating Mainz 2-0 at the opener of the 9th round in Bundesliga.

The "Royal Blues" inflicted Mainz the fifth loss of the season as goals from Leon Goretzka and Guido Burgstaller sealed the deal in front of 59,476 spectators at Veltins Arena on Friday, reports Xinhua news agency.

From the kick-off, Schalke gained control and put Mainz on the back foot. It took thus only 13 minutes before the hosts would break the deadlock as Guido Burgstaller's through ball found Leon Goretzka, who chipped the ball from twelve meters over onrushing Mainz goalkeeper Rene Adler.

Mainz defended deep and posed absolutely no threat meanwhile Schalke failed to double the lead despite a dominant performance. Hence, goal-scoring opportunities remained a rare occurrence for the rest of the first half.

After the restart, Mainz gained a foothold into the game and ensured a bright start when Yoshiniro Muto tested Schalke custodian Ralf Faehrmann with a header on target.

It remained however Mainz' only noteworthy chance of the second half as Schalke regained control to work out a promising chance through Thilo Kehrer, who rattled the far post with his header following a free kick in the 67th minute.

The "Royal Blues" remained active and put the result beyond doubt eventually as Guido Burgstaller tapped home a rebound from very close range seven minutes later.

With the result, Schalke jumped onto the fourth position whereas Mainz slumped to the 14th place of the Bundesliga standings.

--IANS

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