Although the home team's chosen players controlled the game from the very beginning and had the initiative on the field, the guests from Karlsruhe defended excellently in the first half. The decisive moment at the Veltins-Arena occurred in the 72nd minute. After a brilliant play involving Schallenberg and El-Faouzi, the ball reached Ndiaye on the left flank. His precise cross to the near post was perfectly met by Kenan Karaman, who headed it brilliantly, sparking an eruption of joy among the home fans. However, the scorer's joy was short-lived. Just three minutes later, Karaman remained seated on the grass holding his knee and had to leave the field limping to applause from the crowd. To make matters worse for Schalke, Karaman had earlier received his fifth yellow card, meaning he will miss the next away match against Elversberg. What particularly concerned fans ahead of the match were the significant absence issues, namely the injuries of Bosnian national team players Edin Džeko and Nikola Katić. As the club confirmed, Katić suffered a knee injury during the international break: "The injury requires a multi-week break, which most likely means his season is over," Schalke announced on platform X. On the other hand, for Karlsruher, Dženis Burnić played until the 64th minute. The Bosnian national team player played a notable role in the midfield, and in the 38th minute, he had the best chance for the visitors, hitting only the outside of the net from an excellent position. With this victory, Schalke secured important points in the fight for promotion and a return to the elite ranks of German football. Score and scorer: Schalke - Karlsruher 1:0 (Karaman 72')