Just over a week ago, Schalke 04 were sitting at the bottom of the table with no points from five Bundesliga matches. After a win against Mainz, the confidence is coming back. After a win in the Champions League against Lokomotiv Moscow, Domenico Tedesco's aside make it three wins in a row against Düsseldorf.
The teams
Following the disappointing 0:3 defeat in Nürnberg, Düsseldorf coach Friedhelm Funkel made three changes to his starting lineup. Benito Raman, Marcel Sobottka and Rouwen Hennings came in, with Takashi Usami and Marvin Ducksch both on the bench. The third absentee, Dodi Lukebakio, had not made it to the team gathering in time.
For Schalke coach Tedesco, it was simple bench to pitch rotation in action. Nabil Bentaleb, Suat Serdar, Guido Burgstaller and Franco Di Santo were all back, with Sebastian Rudy, Yevhen Konoplyanka, Breel Embolo and Mark Uth, a recent addition to Jogi Löw's German squad, on the Bank.
Furious pace
The first half started at a furious pace, and after just four minutes the home side should have had the lead. With a clear sight of goal and just 'keeper Ralf Fährmann to beat, Raman badly dinked his shot wide of the target.
A defensive error from the Flingeraner in the tenth minute provided Burgstaller with a chance, but the Austrian pulled his shot wide, and a deflected effort from Serdar landed on the roof of the Düsseldorf net.
There were tow further notable chances. Jean Zimmer warmed Fährmann's gloves in the 32nd minute, before a Di Santo effort flew just past Michael Rensing's goal.
Schalke first out of the blocks in the second half
They had not played a bad opening 45 minutes, but die Königsblauen really put their foot down after the restart. It only took three minutes to open the scoring, with American Winston McKennie scoring his maiden Bundesliga goal, just days after scoring the winner in Moscow - his first ever goal for the Gelsenkirchen outfit.
A lovely right-sided cross from Daniel Caligiuri was turned back in at the far post by Serdar, and McKennie was right on the spot to stroke a left-footed shot from just inside the six-yard box.
Naldo was close with a free-kick just four minutes later, but Tedesco's side recycled the ball to great effect. A long-range effort from Bentaleb took a wicked deflection and was brilliantly saved by Rensing, but the Düsselforf 'keeper was unable to deal with the fast-approaching Burgstaller. The Austrian pounced on the rebound, blasting the ball into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Done and dusted in Düsseldorf
Funkel's side did have their chances, but this was clearly a different Schalke from that of the opening month of the season.
A blistering long-range effort from Alfredo Morales was superbly turned over the crossbar by the inspired Fährmann in the 70th minute, and ten minutes later a Marcin Kamiński effort was chalked off after an offside flag was raised against Kaan Ayhan in the buildup.
The men in blue had opportunities to score a flattering third goal, but had to settle for just the two as the recovery continued. Schalke climb just above the playoff spot into 15th place, while Fortuna slide down into the botton two.
Result: Fortuna Düsseldorf 0 FC Schalke 04 2 (McKennie 48., Burgstaller 53.)
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