Centurion Karaman helps Schalke stay top
| Karaman sets Schalke to victory | Lars Baron/Getty Images |
Fortuna Düsseldorf started the game brightly, but it was Kenan Karaman who had the first attempt of the game in the 11th minute. The experienced striker had a lively first-half, even before scoring from the spot in his 100th appearance for Schalke.
The hosts struggled to clear Christopher Antwi-Adjei’s long throw-in as Tim Oberdorf was penalized for a foul on Nikola Katić. Schalke’s captain stepped up to score his fourth penalty-kick of the season.
Despite missing the influential midfielder Ron Schallenberg for the first time this season, Schalke controlled the game after the break. They were also helped by Oberdorf's second yellow card for a foul on Antwi-Adjei only ten minutes into the second-half.
Düsseldorf’s best chance arrived in the 75th minute when Katić’s mistake was nearly capitalized on by the substitute Christian Rasmussen. The visitors sealed the win five minutes later with Vitalie Becker’s first goal for Schalke. On his return from a hamstring injury, Christian Gomis provided the assist with a beautiful pass.
Schalke will remain top of the 2. Bundesliga, while Düsseldorf could find themselves in the relegation zone if results elsewhere went against them. Both teams will be in action on Sunday next weekend with games against Nürnberg and Elversberg, respectively.
