Dhe FC Schalke draws in the fight to remain in the class Bundesliga new hope after a tour de force. Thanks to the acclaimed 2-1 (0-1) win over Werder Bremen the team of trainer Thomas Reis, as penultimate, is still in a direct relegation zone, but is only one point behind in contact with the relegation zone.
“Sometimes you have the necessary luck, the necessary knack. I’m very happy it worked. It was again a very emotional game. We showed today that we’re there and we’re fighting to stay up. Preparations for Mainz will start tomorrow,” coach Reis said aggressively after the final whistle.
In front of 61,981 spectators in the sold-out Veltins Arena, substitute goalscorers Sepp van den Berg (82nd) and Dominick Drexler (90th + 2) ensured the much-needed success for Schalke on Saturday, who continued to play against Mainz, FC Bayern, Frankfurt and Leipzig probably have the most difficult remaining program of all teams at risk. Marvin Ducksch (18th) provided the interim lead for Bremen. The guests from Bremen left the Schalke stadium as losers after six wins in a row. Nevertheless, with 35 points, she was able to go into the remaining games relatively carefree.
The victory of the previous table third bottom from Stuttgart a few hours earlier had put FC Schalke under a lot of pressure. “If you compare it to the boxer: we stagger – but we haven’t fallen yet. It’s important to keep getting up,” said Reis before kick-off. The fact that the football teacher had to do without defensive stabilizer Moritz Jenz for a short time made the task even more difficult.
Dominick Drexler scored the late Schalke winner against Bremen
What: REUTERS
The special circumstances made the hosts visibly difficult. Not least because of this, Bremen got off to a better start. A shot by Leonardo Bittencourt (6th) was cleared by Maya Yoshida, who had returned to the team after recovering from a muscle injury. Although Schalke gradually found their way into the game and narrowly missed the Werder goal when Kenan Karaman (12′) shot, they were still the weaker team in terms of play.
Schalke’s Drexler becomes a match winner
The opening goal was exemplary for the more creative game of the North Germans. The one after passes from Maximilian Philipp and Mitchell Weiser worth seeing Ducksch took the chance and scored just a week after his three goals in the game Hertha BSC his 12th goal of the season. Because the injured Füllkrug has already scored 16 times, two Bremen players have scored 12 goals in a Bundesliga season for the first time since 2008/09.
The early deficit forced Schalke to take a braver stance. More and more they forced the opponent on the defensive, but hardly created any chances. Only when Simon Terodde’s header (34′) was parried by Bremen goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka was there a risk of scoring.
But at least the increasing pressure from the Bundesliga team, which had the weakest attacking hitherto, ensured that Werder hardly got any offensive action of their own. However, that was to change shortly before the break: Jens Stage’s player Jens Stage missed the great chance to make it 2-0 when he scored too hectically in front of the Schalke goal.
Even after the restart, Schalke continued to move forward. Despite all the zeal, however, it was initially too seldom that the Bremen defense really faced problems. And when that worked, Pavlenka was there. The goalkeeper mastered shots from Marius Bülter (47th) and Rodrigo Zalazar (58th). Luck was on Bremen’s side when Tom Krauss hit the bar in the 64th minute. Schalke coach Reis wanted to force the turnaround with three changes in the 75th minute – and showed a lucky hand with the jokers van den Berg and Drexler, who had prevented Bremen from making it 2-1 just before his goal.
“In the first half things didn’t go as we had imagined. I’m very happy for Dominick Drexler. The rescue at the back was probably even more important than the goal. World class,” Bülter praised his team-mate. “There is pure relief in the dressing room. We knew what was at stake. It was very emotional,” match winner Drexler described the scenes from the Schalke cabin after the game.
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