Marius Bülter was one of the few FC Schalke 04 outfield players to fight back over 90 minutes in the 0:2 loss at Hoffenheim. What he said.

Goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann was the only Königsblaue player to reach his normal form in FC Schalke 04’s 0:2 defeat at TSG Hoffenheim – everyone agreed on that: fans, officials, teammates. Of the outfield players, few showed adequate body language – one was goal scorer Marius Bülter. He had created two chances (1st/53rd) and provided the only Schalker bang on the pitch when he cleared a corner flag.

And yet Bülter’s disappointment was huge. “We didn’t do well, especially in the first half,” was his unsparing analysis. “Hoffenheim managed to become dangerous every time with a simple long ball. We didn’t get these balls on Kaderabek defended. That’s also how the 1:0 falls,” Bülter said. A clear criticism – individual teammates but Bülter did not mention.

In the cabin, said the 30-year-old, the mood was resigned, disappointed. “Everyone knew what significance the game had, what chance we had. If you do not use them and especially with this manner in the first half, that is extremely bitter,” Bülter summed up. The applause of the more than 10,000 Schalker supporters who came along after the game would have done well. “In the second half, we bit into it, tried everything. Certainly it wasn’t our best game then either, but we brought the basic virtues onto the pitch. We have to stick together, that’s the only way to do it. That’s what the fans showed after the game.”

The fact that Schalke scored only once in the past three games – Bülter himself converted a penalty in the 1-1 draw in Augsburg – does not worry the left winger. When asked by this editorial team, he said, “We had our opportunities to score goals – in Hoffenheim and also a week ago against Leverkusen. If it was the case that we didn’t get in front of goal at all, only then would I worry. “

On Friday (8:30 p.m./DAZN), last-place Schalke will face second-to-last Hertha BSC. Goals must be scored then; anything less than a win would be a disappointment for S04. Bülter did not want to talk about a final. “It’s a very important game, but not a final,” he said.