Schalke strike five in record win at AEK Larnaca

FC Schalke 04 cemented their position atop Group J with a resounding 5-0 win against AEK Larnaca FC.

Lewis Holtby, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Joel Matip did the damage before the break as AEK went down to their first ever home defeat in Europe. Two late goals – from Julian Draxler and Huntelaar with his second – sealed Schalke's biggest ever away win in Europe.

Despite the record margin of victory, Schalke started slowly and had barely mustered an attack when, midway through the first half, they suddenly took the lead. A bout of possession ended with Holtby running at the AEK defence and he unleashed a low shot from just outside the area that flew into Marco Fortin's bottom left-hand corner.

The visitors were warming to their task and in the 34th minute it was two. A willing outlet throughout, left-back Christian Fuchs whipped in a deep cross that found Huntelaar, who headed back across Fortin and in off a post. A Fuchs corner then created the third as Matip just beat team-mate Benedikt Höwedes to the ball and glanced his header into the top corner.

Huub Stevens had handed goalkeeper Lars Unnerstall his first start for Schalke, but AEK did not test him until the 56th minute when Rubén Gómez shot straight at the 21-year-old when well placed.

A fourth was always going to be more likely at the other end, and Draxler finished off a long passing move in the 87th minute. Dutch international Huntelaar then took advantage of a defensive mix-up to score his seventh goal in five matches for club and country.