The goalkeeper and Manuel Neuer did not cross paths during the 90 minutes plus stoppage time, given they were at opposite ends of the pitch, but the two met warmly after the final whistle, chatting on the field before swapping shirts and details in the tunnel during a joint Sky interview.
Neuer later revealed that Bayern Munich's coaching staff had arranged the jersey exchange with Karius in the catacombs, recognising the scale of his opposite number's performance.
Asked how good Karius had really been, Neuer did not hold back.
"Very good, isn't it? He is the right choice for Player of the Match, he thwarted the three great chances we had. That was the key," the World Cup winner said. Those chances included a close-range reaction save against Nathaniel Brown in the 13th minute, a smart stop with his foot to deny substitute Michael Olise in the 58th, and an outstanding save to tip a long-range effort from fellow substitute Harry Kane over the bar in the 87th minute.
Karius explained the mindset that got him through the occasion.
"Stay calm and always have a good position, that is of course not easy, especially against Bayern Munich. But I did a good job of that today. It was great for me," he said.
The point was Schalke's first in the Bundesliga since a 2-2 draw with Frankfurt back in the 2022/23 season, some 1,204 days earlier, and ended a run that stretched back to before the club's relegation and subsequent promotion this year. Karius was quick to redirect credit toward his teammates.
"What the boys have been up to — hats off to them. They've really worked themselves to the bone, and that's exactly who we are. That's what makes Schalke stand out," he said.
Head coach Miron Muslic echoed that sentiment, having warned his players beforehand that facing Bayern would require them to "enjoy" defending rather than fear it.
"This mentality, this attitude, this capacity for suffering — that was top-notch," Muslic said. "Because FC Bayern is the best team in the world, full stop. They don't stop, but neither did we. You need that little bit of luck too. We had that."
Looking ahead to Friday's trip to Union Berlin, Muslic struck a defiant tone about Schalke's long-term ambitions in the top flight.
"Schalke is a founding member of the Bundesliga, we simply belong here," he said. "We are ready to fight against all resistance for the next ten months — there will be highs and lows. But we will do everything we can to ensure that we remain here in ten months and that Bayern is allowed to be a guest here again."