Stop the count! Schalke and Mainz are the worst by far

If there's a single good thing with the matches being played behind closed doors due to a coronavirus, then it's a fact that the fans can, at least, save some money. And nerves. And time. Because it would be dreadful to spend a single penny, let alone two hours of your spare time, to witness from the stands the miserable goalless draw in the opening match of the Bundesliga matchday 24.

Schalke 04 - Mainz 05 and the final result 0-0. Zero, nothing, or if you prefer in German - nichts. It was 90 minutes of a truly dissatisfying football, played by the two sides nailed to the very bottom of the Bundesliga with only 10 and 18 points, respectively. Once-giants from Gelsenkirchen are going through a horror campaign. Twenty-four years ago, they celebrated the UEFA Cup title; today, they are counting down the German top-tier days.

Several changes have been made in the dugout since the start of the season, but it brought no improvement whatsoever. The hotbed of fine football for decades now looks deplorable and on the verge of the Bundesliga 2. Mainz, on the other hand, led by a young Phillipp Mwene, the Austrian midfielder of Kenyan origins, showed a glimpse of quality, unfortunately not enough for the win.

Ex Arsenal's player Shkodran Mustaffi, now in Schalke's kit, had a fine header 15 minutes into the game, but a superb save prevented him from scoring. Twenty minutes later, a lovely cross from the left found Leandro Barreiro in the middle of the box, but Mainz striker's shot went only a few inches wide off the right post. Jonathan Burkhardt was very determined to score early in the second half, but it ended only with a corner for the visitors. Both sides showed some life signs late in the second half, but it was too late to change the scoreline despite several solid chances on both ends.

However, Arminia Bielefeld and Hertha Berlin, with 18 points, just like Mainz, ensure that the relegation battle remains exciting for the rest of the season. And what about already overwhelmed Schalke? Well, they couldn't be worse than this, could they... At least we hope so.

BUNDESLIGA ROUND 24

Friday

Schalke 04 - Mainz 05 0-0

Saturday

17:30 Hoffenheim - VfL Wolfsburg

17:30 Borussia M'gladbach - Bayer 04 Leverkusen

17:30 Eintracht Frankfurt - VfB Stuttgart

17:30 Hertha BSC - FC Augsburg

17:30 SC Freiburg - RB Leipzig

20:30 Bayern Munchen - Borussia Dortmund

Sunday

17:30 FC Koln - Werder Bremen

20:00 Arminia Bielefeld - Union Berlin