Werder almost won: Huntelaar's comeback doesn't help Schalke

Saturday 30th January 2021

Werder almost won
Huntelaar's comeback doesn't help Schalke

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is finally making his comeback at FC Schalke 04. But the Dutchman can't do anything against Werder Bremen in the last minutes of the game, just receiving a yellow card. After a good start, coach Christian Gross' team almost lost again.

Historically bad, victory given away: Crisis club Schalke 04 took the next setback in the fight against relegation from the Bundesliga. Despite a passionate performance and the opening goal by Omar Mascarell (38th), the team of coach Christian Gross at Werder Bremen did not get beyond a 1: 1 (1: 0). After an increase in the second half, Kevin Möhwald (77th) made up for pale Hanseatic players for a long time.

For Schalke, the draw must feel like a defeat. Despite the point win, the staggering traditional club remained bottom of the table and set a negative club record – Schalke have now been without a win for 20 Bundesliga away games (434 days).

Royal Blue is now seven points behind the relegation rank – but 1. FC Köln could pull away on Sunday with a win against Arminia Bielefeld. Werder, on the other hand, already has a small cushion of points in the danger zone as eleventh.

"We believe that we can still do it. We look optimistically to the future," said Gross before the game. And even without hopeful Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who was in the squad for the first time since his return, but initially sat on the bench and only came on in the 80th minute, Schalke had the first really good chance. But for Matthew Hoppe (2nd) the angle was too sharp after a bitter blunder by Theodor Gebre Selassie, Timo Becker's (19th) attempt from a distance just missed.

Werder is getting more powerful – and outsmarts Schalke

Werder, who recently always had problems making the game, left the initiative to the guests for a long time – the green-whites tried to be dangerous via counterattacks. But because Schalke also have some deficiencies in handling the game equipment this season, a competitive, but not a high-class game developed.

Mascarell then converted the first consistently carried forward attack against passive Bremer. Becker served Amine Harit on the right, who hung up with an overview in the middle – and Mascarell hit from around 16 meters. The Spaniard only played because Suat Serdar was out with a cold.

With increasing playing time Werder became more active and increased the pressure with the substitutes Milot Rashica, Möhwald and Ludwig Augustinsson. But Schalke managed to prevent really compelling chances for the home side. Because the big eleven were only occupied with the defensive, there were hardly any relief attacks.

Schalke keeper Ralf Fährmann (76.) rescued brilliantly after a header from Japanese Yuya Osako. A minute later, however, Ferryman was defeated. Huntelaar came and threw himself in, even received a yellow card, but couldn't stop Bremen's thirst for action. In the third minute of stoppage time, Bremen's goal was not given by Maximal Eggestein according to video evidence.