Robin Gosens shines for Schalke against Bayern Munich ahead of Union return
Robin Gosens’ Bundesliga debut for boyhood club Schalke may not have gone to plan, but he played a pivotal role in his second outing, keeping Bayern Munich’s right side quiet as the teams played out a goalless draw at the VELTINS-Arena. Now, a visit to former club Union Berlin is on the horizon, and he will be eager to get his first three points in Royal Blue in the capital…
Gosens arrived from Italian outfit Fiorentina in the summer as one of Schalke’s statement signings on their return to the top flight. However, on Matchday 1 of the Bundesliga campaign, the Gelsenkirchen outfit were second-best against Augsburg, ultimately succumbing 3-0 after a lacklustre performance.
It was a harsh lesson for Schalke, and it was certainly not the Bundesliga introduction Gosens will have hoped for, even if he only came on from the bench in the second half. “It hurt,” he admitted. “It wasn’t what we’d imagined. But it was maybe a game that served as a good reality check.
“We saw some areas where we lacked cleverness and Bundesliga know-how. But that’s only human and is logical. That’s why this group has been put together, why we have young players who need to learn and are allowed to make mistakes and should grow into the Bundesliga. I’m not worried. We’ll quickly get good results.”
It turned out that Gosens was right, although few would have expected their first point of the campaign to come in their very next match. Bayern, after all, scored a record 122 on their way to the Meisterschale last term and started this campaign with three consecutive victories in all competitions, scoring at least four on each occasion.
Nevertheless, led by an inspired Loris Karius between the sticks, Schalke battled to a share of the spoils and became the first team since Leverkusen in February 2025 to keep a Bundesliga clean sheet against the record German champions, while Paris Saint-Germain at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup were the previous team to do so in any competition.
Gosens was given the unenviable task of keeping Lennart Karl, and then Michael Olise, relatively quiet throughout the 90 minutes, but he passed the tough test of his credentials with flying colours.
“I think we have all gone to the limit today, if not even over it,” said a breathless Gosens after full-time. “And that's why we have, I think, with our defensive performance, worked for these points today and done so together. And that makes me very proud, to be honest.”
It was the thought of nights like those that no doubt convinced Gosens to sign for Schalke and fulfil a childhood dream. By his own admission, he is a supporter of the club through and through. “Everything started for me with Schalke,” he explained. “I was born in the Lower Rhine area and wasn’t bothered about football for a while. My godfather then decided he’d take me to the stadium. I walked up the steps here at the stadium, looked out over the pitch, and something happened within me; something changed.
“It was like magic. The next day I signed up at a football club and, from then on, the ball was my best friend. So, I grew up through Schalke and am forever grateful to Schalke, because it gave me a passion for football. It’s given me a strong emotional connection. I’ve remained a fan and now get to live this dream myself, not just looking down from above but being out on the pitch as a player. It gives me an amazing feeling to enjoy this full-circle moment.”
His next step on his budding Schalke journey is a trip to Union, where he spent the 2023/24 season. Brought in to boost the Iron Ones on their maiden UEFA Champions League adventure, things started well for the ex-Vitesse man, with Union winning their opening two games and Gosens netting a brace in his second game.
After seven matches, he had four Bundesliga strikes to his name, but that was as good as it got. Struggling to juggle their European and domestic responsibilities, Union lost nine straight league games, which ultimately led to the departure of head coach Urs Fischer. In the end, the Berlin team only confirmed their top-flight survival on the final day of the season as they defeated Freiburg 2-1 at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei.
Gosens was a regular throughout the campaign, making 37 appearances across all competitions and finding the back of the net on seven occasions. However, he left the club in the summer, which was not well received by supporters.
The 32-year-old was quick to address the issue, saying his exit was down to his and his family’s failure to settle in the city rather than anything football-related. “There were a lot of things said afterwards about how my exit came about on the final day, but the fact is I had such a great time at the Alte Försterei,” he stated.
“I think what happened back then was sort of a mix of personal and sporting matters. In a sporting sense, I absolutely loved playing for Union Berlin. Privately, we just didn’t find our comfort zone there. We just didn’t click with Berlin given where we were as a family at that time.
“But in a sporting sense, even though it was a difficult year, it was really great with a happy ending and maybe the most emotional game I’ve ever been involved in, which is why I’m really looking forward to going back there.”
No hard feelings, then, but Gosens and his teammates will still want a result this weekend. After all, Union are likely to be one of Schalke’s rivals for Bundesliga survival, and the new boy is in no mood to lose his top-flight status.
“The way we play, fight and show willingness to fight and die for this shirt will be important to make sure we’ve always got the fans on board. I think we have the quality to stay in the Bundesliga and then stabilise ourselves there.
“I think we all agree that Schalke should remain in the Bundesliga long term. We’ll do all we can every day for that.”
