Metalist 1925 Kharkiv vs FC Schalke 04

Schalke pressed high from the first whistle and forced Kharkiv into repeated errors in possession. Adrian Gantenbein sent a long-range effort well wide inside four minutes, but captain Kenan Karaman went closer two minutes later, forcing goalkeeper Yaroslav Protsenko into a low save at his near post. Moussa Sylla then tested the same keeper from the opposite side after being played through by Karaman (8').

Junior Adamu headed a teasing Adil Aouchiche free-kick too weakly to trouble Protsenko (14'), while at the other end Loris Karius comfortably gathered Baton Zabergja's solo run and shot. The tempo dipped through the middle of the half, but Schalke remained the sharper side. Aouchiche twisted past his man on the right edge of the box and hammered a shot that Protsenko punched clear (32'), and Karius responded with a smart save low to his right to deny Oleksandr Yatsyk's curling effort (36').

Schalke's best chance of the first half fell to Sylla in stoppage time. Aouchiche crossed from the left after a swift counter, and the Mali striker controlled on his chest before volleying — but he did not catch it cleanly, and the teams went in goalless at the break.

Schalke had upped the tempo again after the restart, but it was a single moment of high pressing that broke the deadlock. Adil Aouchiche won the ball back 20 yards from goal, Junior Adamu collected it and squared instantly to Sylla, who kept his composure and beat Protsenko with a left-footed finish from a central position (54').

Muslic had planned to change all 11 outfield players on the hour mark, and the timing was perfect. Within four minutes of the new XI taking the pitch, the lead was doubled. U23 midfielder Edion Gashi slipped a pass into the path of Bryan Lasme, who accelerated away from the Kharkiv defence and slotted into the bottom-left corner (64').

The second goal effectively ended the contest. Several stoppages disrupted the flow, but Schalke remained in control. Luca Vozar whipped a dangerous free-kick into the area that was deflected wide (82'), and Lasme teed up Christian Gomis for a shot that was blocked (84'). Vozar was fouled in the box after a driving run with five minutes left, but no penalty was awarded.

Moussa Sylla — Schalke's number nine was a persistent threat throughout and took his goal with the calm finish of a striker in form. It was his third goal in two pre-season friendlies, having scored a brace against Erzgebirge Aue three days earlier.

Bryan Lasme — The French forward used his pace to destroy the Kharkiv backline for the second goal and looked dangerous whenever he received the ball in space. Also created a chance for Gomis in the closing stages.

Adil Aouchiche — The creative hub of the first hour. His set-piece delivery caused problems, he created chances from open play, and his pressing directly forced the turnover that led to the opening goal.

Mertcan Ayhan — Solid in central defence, he cut out several Kharkiv counter-attacks before they developed and started the move that led to Sylla's first-half chance with a sharp transition pass.

Player of the match: Moussa Sylla

Possession and territory were overwhelmingly in Schalke's favour, reflecting a clear gulf in quality between a German second-division side in full pre-season and a Ukrainian top-flight opponent. The scoreline (2-0) arguably undersold Schalke's dominance — Protsenko made several saves to keep Kharkiv in the game during the first half, while Karius had only two meaningful stops to make. The clean sheet was Schalke's first of pre-season.

Muslic's decision to field two entirely different XIs across the 90 minutes makes traditional xG analysis less meaningful, but the pattern was clear: sustained pressure before the break, clinical finishing after it.

Schalke made it two wins from three pre-season friendlies, following a 4-2 victory at Erzgebirge Aue (19 July) and an opening 2-1 defeat at FC Gütersloh (11 July). The win in Austria continues Muslic's plan to build match sharpness gradually, with the starting XI given 60 minutes and the entire squad getting game time. All 24 outfield players wore the new 2026/27 home kit.

Kharkiv, who finished just outside the European places in the Ukrainian Premier League last season, used the fixture as part of their own pre-season preparations in central Europe.

What's next: Schalke face Japanese J1 League side Fagiano Okayama at the Silberstadt-Arena in Schwaz on Saturday 25 July (16:00 CEST), their third friendly in seven days.

A professional, controlled performance from Schalke against a Kharkiv side that offered little beyond the occasional counter-attack. Sylla's form is the standout narrative of pre-season so far — three goals in two games suggests he could be central to Muslic's plans this season. The clean sheet and the seamless integration of 11 substitutes at once also offered encouraging signs of squad depth.

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Match details: Metalist 1925 Kharkiv 0-2 FC Schalke 04 (HT 0-0) | 22 July 2026 | Stadion Melach Road, Kematen, Tirol | Attendance: 2,000 | Referee: Daniel Pfister