Hoffenheim Beat Schalke 2-1 as Asllani and Lemperle Score Early in Sinsheim

Hoffenheim beat Schalke 2-1 in the Bundesliga in Sinsheim on Sunday, with two goals in the first 26 minutes deciding the match. Fisnik Asllani scored the opener in the 10th minute and then set up Tim Lemperle for the second in the 26th. Junior Adamu scored for Schalke in the 81st minute, but the visitors could not find an equaliser.

The match was played at the SNP Arena, also known as the PreZero Arena, in Sinsheim on Sunday 8 November 2026, on Matchday 9 of the 2026-27 Bundesliga season. Hoffenheim led 2-0 at half time. Schalke lost goalkeeper Loris Karius and defender Robin Gosens to injury early in the second half, and nine minutes of added time were played at the end because of the stoppage for the Karius injury.

Asllani punishes Karius, then makes the second

Asllani opened the scoring after 10 minutes. He intercepted a poor attempted pass out by Karius and guided the ball into the net. It was a goal made by pressure close to the Schalke goal, and it gave Hoffenheim control of the match early.

The second goal came in the 26th minute. Asllani played a one-two with Lemperle, and Lemperle slotted the ball past Karius. The scorer of the first goal had created the second, and Hoffenheim went into the break two goals clear.

Before the match, Hoffenheim head coach Christian Ilzer had set out what his side wanted. He said: "Schalke play with an incredible intensity and are extremely strong in challenges. We want to be even more consistent in exploiting our opportunities and converting our periods of dominance into results." In the first half, his side did exactly that with the two chances that mattered.

Karius injury stops the game, Kramaric goal ruled out

Early in the second half, Karius saved from Asllani and then collided heavily with his own defender, Gosens. Both players were forced off. Karius was replaced in goal by Muller, and Gosens was replaced by Vitalie Becker. The long stoppage for the Karius injury is why nine minutes were added at the end of the second half.

Hoffenheim thought they had a third goal on the hour. Andrej Kramaric scored in the 60th minute, but the goal was disallowed for offside. The score stayed 2-0, and Schalke stayed in the match.

Adamu gives Schalke hope, but Hoffenheim hold on

Schalke scored in the 81st minute. Oliver Baumann saved a header by Edin Dzeko, and Adamu swept home the rebound. At 2-1, the closing minutes opened up. Schalke pressed late for an equaliser.

The equaliser did not come. In added time, substitute goalkeeper Muller saved from Alexander Prass to protect the win. Hoffenheim took the three points after nine added minutes.

The numbers tell a tight match underneath the early goals. Bundesliga.com put expected goals at 1.74 for Hoffenheim and 2.73 for Schalke. Before the match, Schalke were second bottom on six points and Hoffenheim sat just above them on nine points. Schalke had scored the fewest goals of any Bundesliga side this season before this match, four, and all four had come away from home. The win lifted Hoffenheim into the top half of the standings.