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Schalke seemed to have already won the fight against the well-known strong opponent Corona. Last weekend, the so-called incidence value in Gelsenkirchen remained so high that it seemed impossible to let the long-awaited fans into the stadium in the home game against Werder Bremen. But then the value fell a little more each day, meanwhile it rose again, on Friday it fell below the critical mark, tickets were sold out and the stadium gates seemed to open. But on Saturday morning at seven, Corona had won again, the city did not allow an audience. But that’s not all: midfielder Amine Harit had to go into quarantine due to a positive test for Covid-19.
The longer the game lasted, the less reason there was to regret the absence of the fans. Schalke shouldn’t have expected flowers, just great disappointment and whistles. What had started catastrophically in Munich with the 0: 8, now continued in the duel of the crisis clubs, for which Bremen would ban such an appointment after that night. They came off the field as deserved winners, leading 3-0 after an hour and with the clear advantage behind them they had no need to take the victory home safely. Mark Uth’s final 1: 3 goal fell in the last possible half, immediately before the final whistle. Werder were playfully superior to the overly nervous and sometimes shattered Schalke players and better as a team in every respect. They also had the best center forward on their side: Niclas Füllkrug scored all the goals. However, Schalke had made it easy for them: at 1-0 and 2-0, Füllkrug enjoyed wonderful freedom after a free kick and a corner kick.
Head coach David Wagner had announced that the home game against Bremen would miss a new start to the season that had started badly, but after this powerful blow again there are signs that the season could end very soon for him. “Of course it’s disappointing. But in the end, every new game is a possibility. I won’t let the character of the team come to mind, but they couldn’t implement it,” Wagner said after the game.
The manager had already raised considerable doubts after the bad second half of the previous season and owed his job retention, in addition to the surprisingly patient defense of sporting director Jochen Schneider, that the club has no money to pay the maintenance of an expensive employee with an employment contract up to 2022 numbers. Now it will be difficult for Schneider to find more arguments to hold on to Wagner, especially since he linked Werder’s game with clear announcements that seemed diabolically like an ultimatum for the coach. “I am convinced that I can be part of the solution,” Wagner himself said after the game.
Only in the first minutes after the break did Schalke play like a team that has a home game and wants to make up for something. The replacement of Vedad Ibisevic and Salif Sané temporarily put an end to the confusing hustle and bustle that the Royal Blues had provided during the first half. An unusual picture emerged: Schalke pressed, won duels and became seriously dangerous for their opponents, Ibisevic and Nassim Boujellab missed three first-class opportunities to connect, actually seemed to be tight again for Werder. But then Ozan Kabak stepped in, the only bright spot so far in this horribly bad calendar year, in which Schalke only won two of 21 games, including the cup.
Did Kabak spit on Augustinsson on purpose?
In Bremen’s quick counterattack to the efficient Swedish Ludwig Augustinsson, the 20-year-old defender didn’t know what else to do but take down his opponent Füllkrug in a clumsy and obvious way. The proper penalty, used by the fresh Füllkrug, abruptly ended Schalke’s offense. Kabak, however, continued with his failed appearance. Already in the first part it was noted by a false zeal and unbridled behavior, among other things it was suspected of an attempt to spit, and it did not surprise anyone that he was a few minutes from the end after the yellow card for the criminal foul. another warning and consequently the negotiated dismissal. Augustinsson, who landed next to Kabak’s sputum, said according to the images: “This is not fair play.” Coach Wagner took his player against him for protection. He knows that Kabak would never do something like that on purpose. The DFB may look at the scene again.
There is a lack of elementary elements at the front, simple errors occur at the rear.
The performance increase that Schalke sporting director Jochen Schneider had demanded, including a suitably better result, was nothing to do, especially in the first half. The locals were unable to play their own game and only managed to get close to Bremen’s penalty area at select times. There Goncalo Paciencia fought technically attractive, but in a losing position. Returnees Mark Uth and Nabil Bentaleb failed to start offensive play. However, there was no need for individual criticism: the whole group lacked movement and free running, rehearsed combinations and speed, joy of play and ideas, absolutely everything with which a goal is scored in the Bundesliga.
There were also glaring defensive errors, not just in the standard situations that led to goals against. Benjamin Stambouli formed a human trouble spot in the center of defense, Bastian Oczipka and Sebastian Rudy in the outside positions were more concerned with running back than significant ball possession. The second half was better, but not good enough for a turnaround. But this is exactly what Schalke needs to escape the pull into the abyss.
