Good evening ladies and gentlemen and welcome to our live text commentary of Maribor's trip to Gelsenkirchen to face Schalke 04 in the Champions League. The Veltins-Arena plays host as both sides look to pick up their first win of Group G following draws in their opening games.

The Germans travelled to Stamford Bridge and held free-scoring Chelsea to a 1-1 draw a fortnight ago, while 18-year-old Luka Zahovic came off the bench to hit a stoppage-time equaliser as Maribor held Sporting Lisbon to the same scoreline in Slovenia. Will one team get off the mark tonight? Well, according to the bookmakers it'll be Schalke.

By virtue of being 10/1 outsiders with the bookies, you could say that Maribor have a slim chance of pulling off an upset here. We can't underestimate the Slovenians' intent to upset the odds, however. And here's why:

Manager Ante Simundza rested quite a few of his top boys in the 0-0 draw with Radomlje at the weekend, a luxury Schalke boss Jens Keller could not afford. Keller was forced to name a strong team for their local derby with Borussia Dortmund, where first-half goals from Joel Matip and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting gave them the win, but will their weekend exertions hinder them tonight? Not according to either manager. Here's what they said to say:

Keller told UEFA.com: "It will not be a problem to motivate the team for this, even after such a big derby at the weekend. We have to take the three points. We are favourites, no doubt about that. But we also know things don't happen by themselves." Simundza, meanwhile, added: "We don't count on Schalke being tired after their derby, they are used to playing strong teams in the Bundesliga, so this really doesn't matter."

Okay team news is filtering through from the Veltins-Arena so stay tuned, my friends. Will we see Julian Draxler line up for Schalke? Will we see Maribor starlet Zahovic get his first Champions League start? I'll have both these answers and more very soon.

Schalke 04 XI: Fahrmann; Fuchs, Matip, Neustadter, Aogo; Boateng, Barnetta, Draxler, Choupo-Moting, Ayhan; Huntelaar

Maribor XI: Handanovic; Suler, Mejac, Rajcevic, Viler; Filipovic, Vrsic; Bohar, Mertelj, Ibraimi; Tavares

Schalke subs: Wetklo, Meyer, Clemens, Obasi, Uchida, Sobottka, Hoger

Maribor subs: Sallalich, Zahovic, Arghus, Cotman, Mendy, Biton, Stojanovic,

Yep, there he is. Julian Draxler, who missed Schalke's last two games through suspension, is back in the first XI tonight. The German international slots into an attacking three along with Barnetta and Choupo-Moting, with Klaas Jan Huntelaar spearheading the attack. Very strong lineup for the Germans.

On to Maribor now and I can tell you that Zahovic, who netted that all-important equaliser against Sporting Lisbon two weeks ago, will NOT make his first Champions League start! I'm surprised by that, given his omission from the first XI at the weekend. Instead, Tavares spearheads the attack, with Agim Ibrahimi in behind him. That duo did damage against Sporting last time out. Zahovic does start on the bench, however, so perhaps Simundza wants to keep his secret weapon a little more secret for the moment.

The @S04_en fans congregate outside to welcome their heroes - no exaggeration after Saturday's win against @BVB #UCL pic.twitter.com/DAKBNB4q2b

— Andy James (@UEFAcomAndyJ) September 30, 2014

I watched Maribor against Sporting a fortnight ago, and they've got potential. They created and wasted a hat full of goalscoring opportunities, but if they have solved that profligacy in the last two weeks then we could be in for an upset. Men in white coats are at my door as we speak.

Still, Tavares, the only Brazilian I've ever known to miss from three yards out, simply has to be on his game if Maribor are to stand any chance. He dovetailed really with Ibrahimi against Sporting last time and Ante Simundza will want more of the same. We also can't underestimate how good Marko Suler and centre-half partner Aleksander Rajcevic have to play to keep Huntelaar quiet.

The Dutchman has 52 goals in European competition - 10 of which have come in the Champions League. Suler and Rajcevic won't be tested that much physically, but mentally it must be a gruelling task having to stay alert for 90 minutes because, failing to do so, Huntelaar will punish them. It's as simple as that.

And how important is Draxler to this Schalke side? Very. The Germany international has either scored or directly created five of Schalke's last eight Champions League goals - three goals, two assists. Ales Mejac won't have come up against many players as good as him in the Slovenian leagues. It's a big night for the right-back but, at 31, he's experienced at the very least.

Do you want the bad news from a Maribor perspective or, well, the worse news? These two met at Under-19 level a few hours ago, where Schalke ran out 5-0 winners. Ominous, but what's more is that Maribor have never beaten a German team in their history. There is a first time for everything, though. We're 10 minutes out now, my friends!

The teams are warming up in the @VELTINSarena. #Barnetta starts for #S04 for the first time this season. #S04NKM #UCL pic.twitter.com/uAi79lElkW — FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) September 30, 2014

The pre-match handshakes have taken place and we're just minutes away now! Let's go.

Kickoff! Aaaaaaaaaaand we're underway at the Veltins-Arena. Maribor, playing from left to right, kick off and lose possession straight away after a pointless long ball.

Super tackle by Aleksandar Rajcevic, who thwarts the tricky Julian Draxler in the box after he played a one-two with Huntelaar. Decent start by Schalke so far.

Close! The Germans come within inches of going ahead, as Dennis Aogo sends a free kick narrowly over Handanovic's cross bar.

Save! Schalke are really purring in the opening stages here, and Huntelaar goes close to firing them ahead. The Dutchmean beat the offside trap before firing an angled drive at Handanovic, who saved with his feet.

I'm really not sure Maribor have strung together one successful pass as of yet and Jens Keller's side nearly go ahead yet again. It's Huntelaar once more, leaping highest to try connect with a Kevin-Prince Boateng cross but it's too high for the Dutch striker.

Bit better from Maribor and they swing in their first cross through Dare Vrsic, whose low ball toward Tavares in the box is easily cut out.

Close! My word, this is audacious and brilliant from Vrsic, who spots Fahrmann off his line and goes for goal inside his own half, but the ball bounces on top of the net. A+ for effort, sir.

Maribor have been the better side in the last few minutes and they might have forced Fahrmann into his first save had Viler picked out a yellow shirt from a good position. Promising, though.

Good work from Draxler, who skins Mejac before pulling his cut-back pass to a yellow shirt, allowing Maribor to break but their counter comes to nothing.

Shot! Draxler, standing on the edge of the box, evades Zeljko Filipovic before firing narrowly over the bar with his weaker right foot. The German has looked very decent so far.

Another truly fantastic tackle by Rajcevic who, by virtue of Huntelaar's proficiency, most probably just prevented a goal. Draxler's pass was deflected into the path of Huntelaar, who just had Handanovic to beat but Rajcevic got back in the nick of time to thwart the Dutchman. Excellent defending.

The sting has been taken out of this one in recent minutes. Schalke look the more threatening, but you get the feeling that there are chances there for Maribor tonight.

Chance! Oh dear. It could, and definitely should, be 1-0 to Schalke here folks. Left-back Christian Fuchs does excellently well to find Boateng at the back post, but the Ghana ace drills his header into the side netting. Really poor finish.

Free kick in a good spot here for Maribor after Vrsic was hacked down outside the box. However, Ibrahimi's effort at goal is really poor and comes back off the wall.

Shot! It's been a good last few minutes for Maribor and striker Tavares, largely anonymous for most of the game, drills a left-footed shot right into the arms Fahrmann from outside the box. Fine strike but lacked the direction to trouble the German stopper.

Shot! Schalke have a corner now as Boateng saw his curling effort deflected out of play by Rajcevic. It is played to Draxler, completely unmarked on the edge of the box, but his strike is blocked by a number of bodies.

Would you believe it? Maribor, 10/1 before kickoff, are one up in Gelsenkirchen and it's Damjan Bohar, who taps home from inside the box following Viler's cut-back ball. It was a really well worked goal.

Shot! The Slovenians have their tails up now as Vrsic volleys narrowly over the bar. The Germans have been hit for sechs since that opener. It's six in German see.

Maribor are fortunate they were just called offside, because Agim Ibrahimi was put through by Viler again, only to miss the one-on-one with Fahrmann. Thankfully for him he was offisde.

Rajcevic, one of Maribor's centre-halves, has been fantastic in this opening 45 minutes. He has just made another crucial contribution, standing up well to deny Barnett from running through one-on-one with Handanovic. Fantastic defending thus far.

Half time - Schalke 0-1 Maribor: That's all she wrote in this half, my friends. There's a few discontenting whistles by the Schalke fans. They're not happy in the slightest.

So, do Maribor deserve their half-time lead? Absolutely. Schalke put them under fierce pressure early on, but they couldn't sustain it and the Slovenians slowly but surely grew in confidence and took the lead on 37 minutes through Bohar, who side-footed home from inside the area following Viler's superb cut-back pass.

Kevin-Prince Boateng had the best chance of the half, heading wide at the back post from Fuch's excellent cross. Schalke boast the possession, Maribor have the only stat that matters. Well done to them. We spoke about their potential before the game. 10/1 prior to kickoff. What are they now? 15/8.

Restart: Right, we're back underway at the Veltins-Arena, folks. Can Schalke turn this around or can Maribor hold on for what would be a fantastic victory? Stay tuned.

Sub: Jens Keller has replaced Kaan Ayhan with Atsuto Uchida for this second half. Uchida was voted Bundesliga Player of the Week for his display against Dortmund and Werder Bremen. Can he carry that form into Europe?

Schalke well on top in this half but yet to really threaten Handanovic's goal. They might now, however, as the Royal Blues win a free kick just outside the box.

Aogo's free kick is blocked by the ball, before Draxler volleys well over the bar from the rebound. They need a big half from Draxler.

Maribor look more than happy to soak up this pressure because at the moment Schalke aren't going to score. They look devoid of creativity at the minute. Huntelaar not in the game a whole lot. That goal has really rocked them.

Would you believe it? Just as I say they don't look like scoring, Huntelaar goes on and fires them level. It's a soft goal, as Filipovic passes straight to the Dutch hitman, who evades a squeezes his shot away into the bottom corner. Suicidal from Filipovic.

Save! Fantastic save from Handanovic, as the Slovenian gets down well to cut out Draxler's shot from inside the area. He probably should have scored, but a fine save nevertheless. Schalke really purring now.

Yellow card: Mitja Viler is yellow carded for appearing to show the referee his leg. I can only assume he has some sort of evidence of an earlier foul that he wants to highlight. Moral of the story? Don't snitch!

Shot! Boateng, on the half volley, shoots wide from outside the box. It looked far closer than it actually was because Handanovic rushed across his line to ensure he had it covered.

Double sub: Two subs to tell you about now, as Dare Vrsic is replaced by Jean Phillipe Mendy in Maribor's first change, while Chinedu Obasi replaces Choupo-Moting in Schalke's second change.

Chance! Another decent chance for the hosts, and it's Huntelaar again, latching on to Barnetta's through ball but, with just the keeper to beat, dragged his shot wide of the post.

Booking: Boateng booked for bringing down Bohar just outside the box. It's a good chance, but a really disappointing effort from Ibrahimi. He's been poor tonight. I think this is Schalke's to win.

Booking: Ales Mertelj's name is next in the box after the midfielder went in late on Boateng. It might have been red, you know. It looked a dangerous one.

.@KJ_Huntelaar celebrates his strike for @s04 against @nkmaribor. His 11th goal in 23 #UCL appearances. #hitman pic.twitter.com/KCqMR6Lsrg — Champions League (@ChampionsLeague) September 30, 2014

Sub: Schalke make their third and final change in replacing Boateng with Max Meyer for the final 10 minutes or so. Will it be enough to see them win? I think they might nick it, you know.

Bohar is down on the turf with nothing more than a touch of cramp it seems, yet Maribor boss Ante Simundza demands a stretcher! He's either very protective or very shrewd.

Booked: Agim Ibrahimi booked now for charging down Christian Fuch's free kick prematurely. Draxler will take the next attempt....and it comes to nothing. The walls have really done their jobs well tonight, it has to be said.

Four minutes left and another draw for these two would leave Group G wide open. Chelsea are currently beating Sporting 1-0, putting them on four points as it stands, while Schalke and Maribor on two points, with Lisbon on one. Will one of these sides move to four with Chelsea by full time? Time will tell.

Chance!!! Oh dear Maribor should have stolen the victory here, folks. Sallalich dispossessed Matip on the halfway line and raced toward goal in a three on two situation in favour of Maribor but, instead of using one of the players either side of him, elected to shoot and his shot flew wide. Bad decision.

That might be that. Schalke swing in a corner but it ultimately goes out for a goal kick. Just seconds left now you'd imagine.

Yep, that's all she wrote, my friends. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar cancelled out Damjan Bohar's first-half opener but Schalke are held to a 1-1 draw with Maribor - a second successive 1-1 draw for both teams.

Well, that's all from me. Make sure you stay tuned for analysis and ratings and I'll see you next time. Enjoy the evening.