Saints share six goals with Schalke

Mark Hughes named a strong first XI for the clash in eastern China, including summer recruit Stuart Armstrong alongside Mario Lemina in midfield, while Matt Targett began in the left wing-back position, having returned from his promotion winning spell with Fulham last term.

Fellow loanee Harrison Reed wasted no time in announcing his return to the Saints fold, netting in the second period, while youngster Jake Hesketh was also on the scoresheet for Hughes's men, as their pre-season campaign got off to a lively, but productive start.

The Bundesliga side drew first blood through forward Ievgenli Konoplyanka, before Nathan Redmond was alive to Charlie Austin's creativity just before half-time to draw Saints level.

A further four goals were scored in the second period, two for each side, with plenty to please manager Hughes, as he embarks upon his first full season as Southampton boss.

Armstrong, playing for the first time in Saints' red and white, nearly had his new side ahead in the fifth minute, squeezing a shot under Ralf Fährmann, who got enough of a touch on the ball to reduce its pace and allow Baba Rahman to recover and clear.

Shane Long continued Saints' early assault moments later, advancing down the left, and attempting to latch onto Targett's driven cross at the back post, which flew wide before the Irishman could connect.

An energetic start from Hughes's men again looked promising in the eighth minute, as Redmond fired narrowly over from distance, after Saints had worked the ball well from back to front.

But it was the Germans who gleaned first advantage in the 21st minute, via tricky Konoplyanka, whose deflected shot looped off the boot of Pierre-Emile Højbjerg, wrong-footed Alex McCarthy, and landed in the net for the game's opener.

Redmond was quick to remedy Saints' deficit however, just before half-time, having forced Fährmann into a fine one-handed save in the preamble.

The winger linked well with Austin, whose deft back-flick on the edge of the area found the continuing run of Redmond, where the eventual shot was inadvertently turned in off Chelsea loanee full-back Baba, to end the half one apiece. 

Hughes made a full complement of changes at the interval, including Reed, who had only been on the pitch three minutes before making an instantaneous impact on his first game under the new manager.

Having spent a successful season-long loan at Norwich City last year, the 23-year-old looked full of confidence as he raced onto Jordy Clasie's incisive pass, wriggled free of defender Lennard Czyborra, before calmly slotting between the legs of the Schalke substitute keeper.

The lead was to be short-lived though, as forward Suat Serdar wrestled Domenico Tedesco's side level six minutes later. Steven Skrzybski's square pass found the midfielder, who sidestepped right and curled a precise shot in off the post in the 54th minute.

Goals aplenty, youngster Hesketh restored Saints' lead in the 68th minute, finding the net via a fortunate deflection off defender Benjamin Stambouli's outstretched leg.

Provider turned scorer, Skrzybski then restored parity for Schalke for a second time, seven minutes from the final whistle, with a powerful swerving shot from range, which flew past Fraser Forster and rounded off the game's excitement.

Saints now prepare for the second fixture of their China trip against Chinese Super League side Jiangsu Suning, which is set to be played at the Xuzhou Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on Wednesday 11th (12:30pm BST).