Schalke 04 did not need to be at their best to brush aside Freiburg 2-0 in the Bundesliga on Sunday afternoon.
Despite Freiburg's resilience, the opening goal came right at the end of the first half as Nicolas Hofler put through his own net from a corner.
Then after Max Meyer was fouled - possibly outside the box - Jefferson Farfan stepped up to convert from the spot to make sure of the three points.
Read how the action unfolded below.
Good afternoon Bundesliga fans. There are two game left in the Bundesliga weekend and I have both commentaries for you this afternoon. First up is Schalke 04 vs. Freiburg.
Freiburg have struggled this season with both the Europa League campaign and the fact that a lot of the players who got them there were bought by other teams in the league. However, they are now out of Europe so can now focus on getting themselves away from danger.
At the moment they are 16th, which is the relegation playoff spot and while they can get above Eintracht Frankfurt tonight wins are starting to become very important as there is a gap developing to Werder Bremen in 14th.
As for Schalke, they have improved after a slow start but still concede far too many to really push into the upper echelons of the league. They have won three of their last five to move up to seventh and in fairness their defeat last time can be written off as Gladbach have won every game so far at home.
Right then, let's take a look at the teams for this afternoon.
SCHALKE XI: Fahrmann; Hoogland, Matip, Santana, Kolasinac; Fuchs, Neustadter; Farfan, Meyer, Boateng; Szalai
FREIBURG XI: Baumann; Sorg, Krmas, Hohn, Gunter; Ginter, Hofler, Fernandes, Guede; Darida, Mehmedi
So it's essentially the standard home formation from Schalke boss Jens Keller. Adam Szalai leads the line ahead of an attacking three of Jefferson Farfan, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Max Meyer. There is no Julian Draxler, but there's plenty to worry the Freiburg defence.
As for the visitors, it looks to be something of a 4-4-2, but with Vladimir Darida likely to drop deep into midfield. The lineup has grit in the middle with Gelson Fernandes as well as trickery from Nicolas Hofler. Will that be enough to get a result here, though?
The odds suggest that Schalke should manage a comfortable win tonight. The best you'll get for backing them is 1/2, while Freiburg are as long as 7/1 in some places. I have to go with the bookies on this one and can see it being a 3-1 win.
KICKOFF: We are underway here then. Let's hope for some goals!
A decent start here from Freiburg and Schalke can barely get out of their own half. Fernandes is pressing well and has put himself about early on already. No chances yet, but it's promising for the side who have only won twice this season.
That's a really good last-ditch tackle from Kolasinac, who tracked the run of Darida and slid in just as he was about to shoot. From the corner the ball is partially cleared but Guede slices a shot wide from an angle in the box.
It's still excellent from Freiburg. Guede outmuscles and outpaces Santana to get away down the right but his low cross to Fernandes is cleared from the feet of the Swiss midfielder. They will want a good chance to take advantage of their fine start.
First hint of danger for Freiburg at the back, as Baumann struggles a little bit to deal with a corner, but he gets the benefit of the doubt from the referee and wins a free kick.
First good bit of attacking play from Schalke there. Kolasinac nips in after Fuchs miscontrolled initially, and spreads it left to Szalai. The striker tries a backheel to get it back to the left-back, but it's deflected behind for a corner, which nothing comes from in the end.
The early spell of Freiburg dominance is now over, and Schalke escaped without conceding. Guede drops back into midfield this time and tries to find Fernandes over the top on the left, but his pass is overhit.
Szalai does really well to skin one man and get to the byline in the box. He has Fuchs waiting for the pass in the middle, but in the end he tamely tries to take on another and loses the ball to Hohn.
Neither side is in control of this one at the moment. Freiburg's passing is a little bit slack right now and Schalke look to break through Meyer, but in the end Gunter does well against Farfan to win the throw.
Ambitious attempt from Mehmedi there. Again Guede was heavily involved as he troubled Matip after the ball was played over the top. Matip half deals with it but can only clear to Mehmedi, who slashes a shot over from 25 yards.
Half-chance there for Szalai, who gets to the near post to meet a Kolasinac cross. However, the angle was quite tight and he could only direct it wide under good pressure from Hohn.
Schalke are now controlling the possession, but Christian Streich will be pleased with Freiburg's compactness off the ball. As such, the home fans are beginning to air their dissatisfaction - that can only help the visitors.
CHANCES! He is a proper box-to-box midfielder, is Fernandes. He cannot get on to Mehmedi's pass though and Schalke break. First Kolasinac's shot is blocked before Boateng fires in a shot which Szalai sticks out a boot at but directs it over the bar.
BOOKING: The marauding Swiss international now finds himself the first player booked. Fernandes was just caught a bit flat-footed and hauled down Meyer.
CHANCE! That is a brilliant ball in from out wide, with Santana arriving at the far post. It surely only needed a touch but a combination of Baumann and then his defenders defenders manage to scramble it away. The hosts are beginning to have the better of this.
The fans are a little quiet after seeing their team struggle against a disciplined Freiburg. So far, so good from Streich's side. They would certainly have taken a point before kickoff today.
It is a big pitch here and the visitors are not pressing right up to the Schalke back line, but the hosts are still sluggish taking the ball out. They have certainly played better than this at home so far.
It is beginning to look unlikely that we will have a goal before the break. Farfan steps over a free kick, which he whips in. Baumann punches, but it's not the best and Fuchs then has a chance to cross from the left but the Freiburg keeper hangs on this time.
SAVE! Excellent work from Farfan, who takes matters into his own hands to burst through the Freiburg defence. He's forced slightly wide and Baumann comes out to push away at his feet.
GOAL! Schalke 1-0 Freiburg (Nicolas Hofler own goal)
Well, that is harsh on the visitors! It needed something like that for the deadline to be broken and Hofler is the unlucky man. A corner from Farfan goes right across the six-yard box and Hofler is slow to react at the far post. Perhaps he thought Baumann would gather it, but it went right through and in off the knee of Hofler.
BOOKING: Krmas trips Meyer and goes into the book too. Pure frustration there.
HALF TIME: Schalke 1-0 Freiburg
An interesting first half comes to and end and Schalke have the lead. The hosts did have the better chances, but the manner of the goal is somewhat harsh on the visitors. Prior to that they had shut out Schalke well.
Before the goal went in, the fans at Veltins-Arena were beginning to get a bit frustrated. Freiburg started really well in the first 15 minutes, but were unable to get a really good chance to test Fahrmann, and indeed the home keeper has not had a real save to make.
As it stands, Schalke are up to sixth while Freiburg remain in 16th. If they don't manage to get anything from it things could get even worse for them as Eintracht Frankfurt play next. Although, away to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen you wouldn't expect them to take anything from it.
Streich looked gutted at the break and rightly so, but I wouldn't expect him to panic into many changes at the break. Darida needs to come into the game more as he has been largely anonymous, so perhaps a slight tweak in formation is in order.
Freiburg get us back underway for the second half here then.
Early panic in the Freiburg box from a corner. A couple of Schalke players have a swing at the ball before Gunter slices a clearance, but Baumann in the end is able to gather.
CHANCE! Decent chance that for the visitors. Krmas beats Fahrmann in the air to head goalwards, but he was stretching a bit and could not keep it down. That's probably their best opening of the game so far.
Neither side is on top of it, but again Freiburg have come out and are playing well. Santana gives away a free kick and injures himself at the same time, but he's back on the field pretty quickly.
CHANCE! What a chance that is for Schalke! Kolasinac puts in a cross from quite deep and from six yards out Szalai cannot get any contact on it and it skids past his boot.
SCHALKE SUB: Fuchs has seen his last action of the game. Jermaine Jones, these days sporting some kind of dreadlocks hairstyle, is on for him.
BOOKING: Now into the book goes Hofler for one foul too many. Felix Klaus is on for Fernandes for the visitors, with Albutat also on for Hofler.
CLOSE! Freiburg are building up a little bit of pressure here as Kolasinac gives away a foul on the Schalke left. Matthias Ginter rises to meet it and having met it he will think he should have scored! It goes agonisingly wide.
PENALTY TO SCHALKE!
GOAL! Schalke 2-0 Freiburg (Jefferson Farfan, pen)
That has to go down as a soft penalty. For a start, I think the contact was just outside the box from Klaus on Meyer. He was already on his way down, but either way it's given and it's now 2-0.
SAVE! That's a magnificent effort from Meyer! With nothing in and his back to goal, Meyer flicks it into the air and very nearly catches Baumann out with a full overhead kick. The keeper is just back in time to tip it over.
FREIBURG SUB: Mike Hanke is on here against his former club, with the disappointing Mehmedi making way.
As a Gunter pass into the box is overhit, you cannot help but feel despite their effort Freiburg have been undone by a better side. They might complain about the penalty, which although soft was still likely to have been given, but really they haven't created enough.
The game has slowed right down now and it seems that both sides can tell it's over as a contest. Szalai is coming more and more into it though, as he wins a header and manages to chest it down to Jones instead. Good strength.
Really, Schalke have been there for the taking tonight. Freiburg just do not have the quality to do that. It means on another day this could have been different, but there is a reason they are struggling - they just aren't good enough.
SCHALKE SUB: Meyer, who has been very good, is coming off for a deserved ovation. On for him is Leon Goretzka, also 18, to shore up the midfield.
Boateng does love a shot from range and he finally gets his chance this afternoon. However, his strike from some 35 yards, although well hit, is straight into the arms of Baumann.
SCHALKE SUB: Farfan has been good with his set pieces and puts another corner right into the six-yard box, but this time Baumann gathers. Here is the return of Kyriakos Papadopoulos after a year out. He has a huge reception from the home fans as he takes to the field for Farfan.
CHANCE! Late save there from Fahrmann. The ball is put into the box to Hanke, who I think is trying to put his header back across the six-yard box, but Fahrmann is up to claim under his own crossbar.
Just two minutes of time to be added on at the end of the game. Surely not enough for a dramatic comeback.
FULL TIME: Schalke 2-0 Freiburg
So it's comfortable enough for Schalke, who didn't need to be at their best to beat Krmas. That's all from me for this one - but please do join me in a minute or two for Leverkusen against Frankfurt. See you over there!
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
