Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich’s remarkable 59-game scoring streak across all competitive matches came to an unexpected halt on Saturday, as they were held to a 0-0 draw by newly promoted Schalke in Gelsenkirchen. As highlighted by BBC Sport, the result also marks the first time in almost two years, spanning 67 Bundesliga matchdays, that Bayern will not finish a matchday atop the league table.
Manager Vincent Kompany opted for significant rotation following a strong start to the season, which included a 5-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart in the league opener and a 4-1 DFB Pokal win against second-tier side Osnabruck. Star forwards Harry Kane and Michael Olise both began the match on the bench, a decision that appeared to impact Bayern’s attacking rhythm.
Missed opportunities and star introductions
Despite their dominance in possession, Bayern struggled to create clear-cut chances, and when opportunities arose, they were squandered. Luis Diaz notably missed two one-on-one chances, one either side of half-time, while Konrad Laimer also came close after slicing an effort into the side netting.
As reported by BBC Sport, Kompany introduced England captain Kane at half-time in an attempt to break the deadlock. Olise and Jamal Musiala, making his first squad appearance of the season after suffering seizures during two pre-season matches, were brought on with 35 minutes remaining. Kane did force a fingertip save from Schalke goalkeeper Loris Karius, but it wasn’t enough to find the elusive goal.
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For Schalke, the draw provided their first point of the Bundesliga season, a valuable result against the reigning champions.
Kane’s milestones on hold
The goalless outing also put a temporary pause on Harry Kane’s pursuit of several personal milestones. The match was his 96th Bundesliga appearance, and he now needs two more goals to reach the century mark in the league. The record for the fewest matches to reach 100 Bundesliga goals stands at 129.
BBC Sport also noted that prior to this match, Kane had scored against every one of the 20 Bundesliga teams he had faced. After failing to find the net against Schalke, he has now scored against 20 of the 21 different opponents he has faced in the German top flight.
Bayern will look to rebound quickly as they prepare to host Bodo/Glimt in their opening Champions League group stage match on Thursday. Their next Bundesliga fixture will see them travel to face newcomers Elversberg on September 13.
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