Vorsah and Salihovic score in 2:0 victory over Schalke 04

1899 Hoffenheim against FC Schalke 04. The pre-match signs couldn't have been any more different from the eventual result. With the Kraichgau club coming off the back of two wins against Bremen (4:1) and St. Pauli (1:0) it was Schalke going into the game needing the points more urgently: "Following our home defeat against Hannover 96 we have to go out there and get the points" commented Magath prior to the fixture.

Unchanged starting eleven
52-year-old Ralf Rangnick was able to name an unchanged team for the game against Schalke. The only change in the squad was new signing Gylfi Sigurdsson coming in. Vorsah and Simunic were charged with containing Schalke's stars Raul and Hunterlaar.

Vorsah on goal-scoring spree
Germany manager Joachim Löw was in attendance for Friday evening's game, and the game itself started with plenty of mistakes from both teams. The first good chance of the game fell to the hosts, with Ibisevic just taking too much time when clear of the defenders. Schalke then got into the game, dominating possession but failing to create too many clear cut chances for themselves. Hunterlaar did however have a great chance to put them into the lead, but his effort went wide of Starke's goal. Instead it was Vorsah who got the game's first goal, following a wonderful cross by Beck. He got his head to the ball first, and it was 1:0 to the hosts.

Sublime Salihovic
It wasn't until the last minutes when Hoffenheim put the game out of the visitor's reach, this time Salihovic getting his name on the score sheet. The goal came in the closing stages, a glorious free kick from the Bosnian. The game ended 2:0 to the home side and Hoffenheim sit top of the pile after three games, keeping three consecutive clean sheets in the process.

Hoffenheim go three points clear at the top!
A packed out Rhein Neckar Arena was able to celebrate, for the first time in the clubs history, on a Friday evening as 1899 Hoffenheim emerged 2:0 winners against a strong Schalke 04 team. Their record up until now stood at two draws and four losses on a Friday, but tonight told a different story as 1899 not only won the match but also went, for the time being at least, three points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Hoffenheim came into the match full of confidence and, sitting in 1st place in the Bundesliga, were hoping to build on their impressive performances from their first two matches. New signing Gylfi Sigurdsson had to make do with a place on the bench. As for Schalke all the attention was on the team sheet which threw up some interesting surprises. Deadline day signing Klaas Jan Huntelaar made his debut starting up front with his ex-Real Madrid teammate Raul. The other surprise was that Christoph Metzelder, who has come under increased pressure recently, started the match in the right back position.

Edgy first half as Vorsah climbs highest
It didn't take long after kick-off to get the home fans on their feet as Ibisevic felt he had a claim for a penalty in the 5th minute, which, though it wasn't given, upped the tempo of the game considerably. Huntelaar then had a fantastic chance to score his first Bundesliga goal in the 9th minute but, despite being unmarked, sent his shot wide of the right post. Chances fell for both teams with Hoffenheim proving to be very effective on the counter attack. Ba and Ibisevic missed good opportunities, with the latter being held at bay twice by the efforts of Manuel Neuer. Then in the 37th minute, with the match finely poised, Andreas Beck and Tobias Weiss caught Schalke napping and worked a corner from the right into the box and onto the unmarked head of Isaac Vorsah, who made it two goals in two games, sending the home team into half-time with a one goal lead.

Hoffenheim battle their way to a deserved victory
Schalke made immediate changes with Joel Matip entering the match in place of Metzelder who had difficulty dealing with any sort of pace in the first half. Huntelaar injected some energy into the game just before the hour mark when he found himself unmarked, 6 yards from goal, but saw his header parried onto the bar by the wonderful reflexes of 1899 goalkeeper Tom Starke. Schalke began pressing following the chance as Raul and Moritz created opening but looked lacklustre at best. With 20 minutes remaining though, Ralf Rangnick's words regarding the unity of his team rang true as Schalke increasingly began playing as individuals. Demba Ba and Ibisevic, who will be disappointed with the chances he missed, both forced good saves out of Neuer while Gustavo sent German goalkeeper flying to his right with a thunderbolt on the brink of extra time. Two minutes wasn't enough in the end as Schalke conceded again in extra time when Salihovic bent in a fantastic free kick that went in off Neuer's left post despite Schalke having a man on the line. It was another well deserved three points for Ralf Rangnick's unified team while Magath may feel he needs to go back to the drawing board after a third consecutive loss.

Match facts and statistics »