T. Kehrer enters the game and replaces F. Di Santo.
Substitution Franco Matías Di Santo Thilo Kehrer
90' +3
Y. Gazinskiy gets yellow.
90' +2
Ari is brought down just in front of the penalty area but is deemed to have not been fouled - and then Gazinski gives away a free kick for bringing down Schopf. Surely that's the game...
90' +1
Into injury time, and Krasnodar go close with a corner. Fahrmann palms it away, and Schalke players ahrry the ball back downfield. Desperate clearing from the German outfit.
90'
Is that the gamebreaker?! The ball falls to Laborde, who cuts inside two defenders and shoots along the ground from inside the box. Fahrmann drops hurriedly tos top it, but boy, was it close. Three minutes of added time...
89'
Closing in on added time now, and Schalke seem oddly content to not pursue Krasnodar for posession. They ultimately reclaim it in midfield but only after a pursuit best described as pedestrian.
87'
Laborde has a great chance with a free kick once more, flaoting it across from the left of the box - but it evades all players, including Granqvist who misses it by a foot. Time is running out for Krasnodar.
85'
F. Di Santo gets yellow.
Yellow card Franco Matías Di Santo
83'
Jędrzejczyk takes delivery of a pass downwind of Laborde and tries to feed him into the box, but is unable to thanks to some crafty Schalke defence. It's been a frustrating night for the Krasnodar wingmen - they've found their every run stifled by a wall of white.
81'
Into the final ten minutes in Russia now - can Krasnodar find a way back, or will Schalke put this game to rest once and for all?
Minute
Description
79'
Petrov and Kabore have some interplay on Krasnodar's right flank but can't force through Schalke's defence that keeps them contained. They eventually slip it out to Laborde - but he too is stopped by Nastasic with some superb defending.
77'
K. Huntelaar enters the game and replaces M. Meyer.
Substitution for Schalke as Meyer takes his place on the bench for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar. A good night - if occasionally frustrating - for the German.
76'
Laborde's kick goes close! Fahrmann choses to punch away, but it falls to Kabore who crosses back in, meaning the keeper has to deal with it once more. He's not truly been tested tonight, the Schalke keeper - and arguably, complacency is setting in.
75'
P. Mamaev enters the game and replaces O. Akhmedov.
Substitution for Krasnodar as Akhmedov is replaced by Pavel Mamaev.
73'
Less than twenty minutes remain here in Russia and Krasnodar have earned a free kick to the left of the box. Can they capitalise after a few minutes of sluggish play?
70'
Naldo gets yellow.
Yellow card for Naldo and Krasnodor have a free-kick on the right edge of the box. Ari gets a head to it at the near post but it floats over the top of the net.
68'
Whoever loses tonight will still be three points ahead of third in Group I tonight - but a win will all but assure a place in that knock-out round, or at least strong contention. Both teams will be desperate to claim that here.
67'
R. Laborde enters the game and replaces V. Podberezkin.
A. Schöpf enters the game and replaces Y. Konoplanka.
Whilst for Krasnodar, it's Podberezkin who comes off, with Laborde on in his place.
66'
Substitution for Schalke and it's the goalscorer Konoplyanka wo comes off, replaced by Schöpf.
64'
It's Joaozinho again, who breaks through the central midfield and looks to find Ari, only to be stopped by Meyer. Getting closer now...
62'
Joaozinho's free kick can't quite find a team-mate in the Schalke box and Fahrmann takes command of the ball. Soft finishing from Krasnodar is what is letting them down right now - but it's only a matter of time before they correct that fault.
60'
Krasnodar are on the front foot in attack now, with only some superb sliding defence from Strombouli denying Ari a chance. This game - already quite energetic - is going up another level right now.
59'
Close! Petrov cuts his way to the left of the penalty area, pivots and strikes with his right foot, fine and true for the top corner. Had he not found a Schalke player and a deflection there, he could have levelled the game.
58'
Great interplay around the box from Krasnodar, in a simialr vein to their final attacking moves in the first half. It's that too-heavy touch from Joaozinho that puts their hard work in the bin though - but the Russian outfit are looking more lively now...
55'
Y. Gazinskiy enters the game and replaces E. Kouassi.
Close! Naldo takes a free-kick, that deflects just the wrong way off his own player. Schalke very nearly put this game to bed there and then.
52'
Another goalkeeping error, but down the other end this time as Fahrmann's casual clearance bounces back off Ari for a corner. Krasnodar can't punish Schalke either though. Stalemate.
50'
Meyer picks the pocket of Podberezkin in attack, stalling the Krasnodar attack as they scramble to contain the Schalke counterattack. Kritsyuk hesitates in clearing and Konoplyanka comes across to slide the ball out. Schalke can't convert the pressure though, and the game rolls on.
48'
Schalke are harrying Krasnodar again, focing them to pass back, ultimaely to Kritsyuk in goal. A touch of deja-vu, here...
46'
And we're back underway. Both teams exchange headers in quick succession but there's no clear winner so far. Krasnodar will have to dig deep to reap any rewards from tonight.
45' +2
Clattenburg blows and that's the first half! Schalke lead Krasnodar by a goal to nil in the south of Russia!
45' +1
They go close! Ari flicks one on to Joaozinho, who displays excellent control to take it it. His shot however is a touch flat-footed and Fahrmann collects it without much trouble.
45'
Two minutes of added time on the way. Can Krasnodar pull one out of the bag before the whistle?
44'
Krasnodar suddenly launch a strong attack down the right Schalke flank that earns them a corner. From that, Joaozinho shoots from thrity-five yards out on that same channel but he can only find the head of Nastasic.
42'
Credit to Mark Clattenburg tonight, the man in the middle and arguably the best referee in the world right now. He's let the game flow, rarely interupting unless he's absolutely had to. In fact, he's probably had a better game than most of the Krasnodar players...
40'
Ari goes down after a clash of heads with Stambouri and doesn't get back up. Medical staff attend to him, as the players take a moment to have a drink. If he can't continue, it'll mean a reshuffle for Krasnodar...
39'
Petrov turns Schalke's defenders inside out quickly but can't find a way through and to Joaozinho, the true danger man of this outfit. The German outfit breathe once more.
38'
Close again for Konoplyanka! The lone goalscorer finds space down the left and lets loose once more in a simialr move to the one that found the back of the net. It's wide, but he's making full advantage of a napping Russian defence there.
36'
Krasnodar are a world away from the team of the opening ten minutes though. They may be down but they're not out yet...
34'
Kabore lets loose with a volley from thirty-five yards out, aiming for Ari. He manages to make a connection but the Schalke rearguard able deals with his simple header. With ten minutes of this first half remaining, Schalke are in the driving seat here. Only one goal though...
32'
It's an impressive showing for Schalke -made more impressive when you remember their injury problems. They're a weakened side here, but they're bullying Krasnodar in their own back yard. It's impressive stuff that will set them in good stead if they can claim the three points tonight.
30'
A much more equal few minutes here in Russia. Krasnodar have managed to weather a storm in the form of Meyer and Konoplyanka but haven't been able to capitalise much and bring themselves back into the game, as Fahrmann collects another tame shot from Kabore.
28'
...which very nearly leads to a chance for the hosts down the other end. Joaozinho cuts around and behind several defenders before clipping it back to Ahmedov who shoots once more. Fahrmann drops to stop once more but for a moment, cracks appeared in Schalke's armour there.
27'
Now close up the other end! Goalscorer Konoplyanka gets his head to a corner, but misjudges the angle to send it safely into the hands of Kritsyuk. Krasnodar immediately take posession and run with it through Joaozinho...
24'
Close! A shot from thirty yards out from Ahmedov is deftly blocked by Fahrmann but it's a pointed reminder that Krasnodar aren't as toothless as Schalke are making them seem right now.
23'
Krasnodar move the ball up their right channel and earn a throw in. Kabore lobs a cross into the box from the resultant posession but it falls to Naldo and Schalke are off again.
21'
Petrov tries getting a ball across to Krasnodar star man Joaozinho but Rahman is quick to intercept and diffuse the situation for Schalke. They're keeping the Russian team's star men tightly under wraps tonight and it's very impressive.
19'
Captain Howedes flicks it back and forth with Caicara across the face of the Krasnodar goal. It's flicked out by Petrov in defence, and the subsequent corner isn't truly capitalised on by the visitors. Still, they look commanding right now in contrast to the home outfit.
18'
Krasnodar are having little in the way of attacking grunt tonight, as they concede posession to Schalke again. Igor Shalimov will have his work cut out coaxing them forward tonight against a German team very keen on taking the initiative.
16'
Meyer goes down that right hand flank again, but is caught in the offside trap. It's a blessed breather for Krasnodar, a lucky break - now can they get themselves back into this tussle?
15'
Krasnodar go in pursuit down their left flank but Caicara harries his opponent out and earns a goal kick for his team.
13'
Krasnodar look nervy - in contrast to the imperious calm Schalke are showing, the home side look fragile and wracked with self-doubt. The Germans have dialled back their assault for the moment - but only for a moment.
10'
Y. Konoplanka has scored a goal for Schalke 04!
GOAL! Konoplyanka breaks the deadlock for the visitors! After ten minutes of harrying and controling the game, Schalke make the hosts pay with their third proper chance of the evening. Konoplyanka rattles a great shot in from the left edge of the box, one that Kritsyuk could do nothing to stop. It's his first goal for the club too - and what a goal!
9'
Joaozinho takes posession of the ball for Krasnodar for the first time and immediately looks to threaten the Schalke goal line defence. It comes to nothing in the end but he's the only player in green tonight who looks threatening at the moment.
8'
Schalke are setting a frentic pace here, as Meyer once again channels the ball down to Caicara. He returns it back into the box but the German can't hit the target and the chance sails away once more.
6'
Meyer goes close! Great interplay between Nastasic and Aogo bounces the ball between Krasnodar defenders and into the forward's path, who sees it tipped merely a foot over the bar. Wasted oppertunity?
3'
Meyer again, in a simialr move to his first run, attempts to slip a pass across the box - it bounces of the legs of two Krasnodar defenders and into Kritsyuk's arms. Close, but no coconut.
2'
Caiçara takes delivery of a long pass on the right flank, deep in Krasnodar territory, and sends a cross floating into the box, though Kritsyuk covers it well and is able to deal. It's all Schalke so far in the opening couple of minutes.
1'
The first half is underway!
Max Meyer, silver medalist with the German team in Rio this summer, makes the first attacking move of the game for Schalke, taking it down the left-hand channel - but his limp-footed shot is easily stopped by Kritsyuk. Meyer will be looking to make an impression tonight, having fallen out of favour with new Schalke boss Markus Weinzierl.
Good evening, and welcome to live coverage of tonight's Europa League Group I table-topping clash between Krasnodar and Schalke. With both teams locked on six points, unbeaten in their opening matches, one has the chance to put a foot firmly into contention for the knock-out rounds tonight. But who will it be?
Tonight's hosts are the form team in Group I - Krasnodar have scored six goals this year across their two games, five of them in a thrasing last time out of French outfit Nice. Three of those have come courtesy of high flying forward Joãozinho, who will be looking to keep up his surefire streak this evening against a Schalke side with only one league win to their name outside of Europe this season.
As for the visitors, they'll be hoping that three points tonight can help kickstart their season across all competitions. Aside from a win against Borussia Mönchengladbach at the dawn of October, Schalke are yet to take a scalp outside of fellow Group I teams Nice and FC Salzburg. They're a depleted outfit too tonight, with Leon Goretzka, Nabil Bentaleb and Sead Kolasinac all staying back home in Germany after picking up knocks over the weekend. It's a big ask for them tonight - but in ninety minutes, football is a world away from any other game.
Handshakes on the picth and we're about to get underway here at Krasnodar Stadium. Will it be the Black-Greens victorious or will Schalke reign supreme? Here we go...
So, after all the discussion pre-match on how Schalke would cope with a depleted squad against a team with one of the best group records in the Europa League, the answer is better than expected. Krasnodar hav been dominated, at first brutally and later psychologically by a German team who look every inch group leaders. Based on the forty-five minutes so far, Schalke would be deserving table-toppers in Group I - but as they say, football is indeed a game of two halves.
Igor Shalimov's team talk right now will have to be the equivalent of a caffeine boost. Krasnodar have looked sluggish and tired compared to the calm, yet livewire performance of Schalke, in particular up front and in midfield. They started to find a groove late on in that second half - they will have to keep within it if they hope to salvage some points here.
Markus Weinzierl on the other hand is likely to be very impressed with his team's showing so far. For the best part of forty-seven minutes, they have controlled their opponents on every level. If they can do the same again in the second half, they're already halfway into the knock-out stages.
And that's the game! Schalke hold onto a first half goal to secure three points in a hard-fought win against Krasnodar. They leapfrog their opponents to go top of Group I in the Europa League and go a step closer to claiming a place in the knock-out stages. Full time in Russia - Krasnodar 0-1 Schalke!
From the first to the final whistle, Schalke controlled Krasnodar, against the odds, with a team ravaged by injury and bad form. It's a huge win for them - both in terms of points and psychological power in Group I. They position themselves at the summit and into the driving seat. As for their opponents, they remain on six points and slip to second - but they still lead Salzburg and Nice. Still, they can't afford a slip-up when they tangle with Schalke once more in the return fixture on November 3rd. Until then, thank you for joining us and good night!
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