With the 5:2 victory in the relegation thriller against Hertha BSC, the Königsblauen send an important signal to the competition: There’s no giving up at Schalke!
The scenes were very similar, but could not have been more different in terms of their significance. Ralf Fährmann stood there a little crestfallen, getting a few hugs. Marcin Kaminski was there, Simon Terodde came from the very front to comfort the FC Schalke 04 goalkeeper, when at the same time on the bench Thomas Reis also hugged one of his players. A good half hour had been played against Hertha BSC, and the coach of Königsblauen gave Alexander Schwolow the best wishes.
No coach in the world would wish for a change of goalkeeper so early in a game that many considered to be the final relegation match in the Bundesliga. Coach Reis and substitute goalkeeper Schwolow were all the more relieved when they were able to embrace each other again later in the evening. Winning 5:2 (2:1) against Hertha – deep breathing throughout Gelsenkirchen, Schalke sent an important signal in the fight to stay in the relegation zone, also passed VfB Stuttgart and climbed to the relegation spot at least until Saturday’s games.
It didn’t matter that Schwolow, unlike Fährmann, didn’t come out of the game with a clean sheet. Thanks to a double strike by Tim Skarke’s dream goal (3rd minute) and Marius Bülter’s header (13th), the Schalkers led 2-0 early on.
The arena? A madhouse, at least for those among the 61,981 spectators who were keeping it with Königsblau. Stevan Jovetic sent in a shot from 16 yards out for a flying lesson in stoppage time, which was long due to the change of goalkeeper. But Schalke worked soccer – and also played soccer. And even celebrated one of the rare goals by Simon Terodde (48th), the second goal by Bülter (78th) and a perfectly shot free kick by Marcin Kaminski (90.+2), so that Marco Richter’s 2:4 (84th) no longer mattered.
Skarke, Bülter, Terodde. Did they stand out? All three ex-Union players who lifted Hertha to the bottom of the table.
Schalke was at times unrecognizable compared to the two previous defeats against Bayer Leverkusen (0:3) and at TSG Hoffenheim (0:2). This was also due to the fact that Thomas Reis had shaken up the starting eleven.
There were five newcomers, including the aforementioned Terodde in the starting lineup for the first time since the beginning of February, and defender Moritz Jenz on the inside alongside Marcin Kaminski, because Maya Yoshida (muscle fiber tear) was out. Dominick Drexler for Rodrigo Zalazar as well as Danny Latza (35) instead of Tom Krauß (21) as an appropriate counterpart in terms of scratchiness and resistance to Berlin’s department attack, Kevin-Prince Boateng. What Thomas Reis explained thus: “Today we rely on experience, because the pressure is immense. We want to distribute that.”
The plan worked well. A series of corners by the Herthans in the first quarter of an hour raised the attention and, to some extent, the pulse: Jovetic headed at the far post (7th), Henning Matriciani straddled Dodi Lukebakio (18th) – Fährmann was highly satisfied with the Schalkers positioned directly in front of him, because the offensive players acting even further in front did a brilliant job. Tim Skarke was the man of the first half: First, he seemed to miss the ball like a remedial student, before he chased the ball under the crossbar like a one-timer – 1:0. And then the 26-year-old circled another cross from the right to Bülter, whose diving header Hertha goalkeeper Oliver Christensen jumped after in vain – 2:0.
Of course, if this Keller cracker, 18th against 17th, had been at all weak in tension, Jovetic would have provided the rest by connecting. At the 1:2 Skarke clashed with Cedric Brunner and suffered a laceration to his foot. Another important player out, just like the extremely reliable right-back Cedric Brunner later on. But there was the Terodde moment: substitute Kenan Karaman moved in front of goal from the right and waited until Terodde was free and just had to push the ball over the line. Hertha tried to give an answer – but remained helpless. And Schalke struck the dagger blow: Latza crossed the ball to Bülter, who headed over the rushing Christensen to make it 4:1. The second Berlin goal by Richter did nothing to change that: Kaminski’s dream free kick was the final point of a Schalke evening.