EIn a small group of ultras, the FC Schalke 04 team got in the mood for the upcoming Revierderby at Borussia Dortmund in their own way. “That was okay today,” was the announcement of the spokesman late on Sunday evening in front of the stadium gates, according to Sport1. “But you have to add a few percent more for the derby.” For the “most important game of the year”. If the still unsettled team does not present itself at least as “like today”, in the 1-1 draw against Union Berlin, “then we’ll see each other again. But then it won’t be so peaceful. “
The clear message: “200 percent! Of each! For Schalke. Let’s go! ”That was meant to be encouraging – and also necessary. Although the Royal Blues scored the first point of the season against Berlin, the former European Cup aspirant has been waiting for a win for almost unbelievable 20 league games. And now on Saturday (6.30 p.m. in the FAZ live ticker for the Bundesliga and Sky) Dortmund is waiting. “When we show such a fighting performance, it will be difficult to play against us,” said coach Manuel Baum. The 41-year-old was surprisingly confident, but added: “We know that Dortmund have a good team.”
Baum emphasized that one must now pursue the policy of small steps. He always tries to look ahead positively and to exemplify and convey this attitude to the insecure players. In this phase it is “all the more important to collect small success stories”, emphasized the trainer.
More praise than criticism
The coach gave more praise than criticism: “As far as passion, fighting spirit, mileage and sprints are concerned, we put on a good performance. We know that we still have to improve in terms of play. ”And that Schalke would play the stars of the sky against Berlin after so many failures in the past few months, nobody expected anyway. Not even Baum. After all: For the first time since the disastrous start of the season at 8-0 in Munich, royal blue is no longer at the bottom of the table.
It is encouraging that the heads of the professionals did not go down after Marvin Friedrich (55th) led the Union, the team showed a reaction and at least saved the first point of the season with the goal of substitute Goncalo Paciencia (69th) . “The fact that we got up again after falling behind shows that we have character as a team,” said long-time Union professional Steven Skrzybski.
Goal scorer Paciencia sees his team “currently in a difficult phase”, but also a progress. “I think everyone saw that we played better than in the previous games. We were more compact defensively and had some good moments in the attacking game. We have to build on that. The coach pushes us day after day. ”With the“ bile and grip ”one would“ soon be able to celebrate another victory, ”said Skrzybski. It is questionable, however, whether that will succeed at BVB, which has been lost for miles.
The duel between the U19 youth teams, which Schalke lost 3-2 to BVB on Sunday, provided a foretaste of the big Revier derby. The three-time BVB goalscorer Youssoufa Moukoko was badly offended. “That is to be condemned in the strongest possible way,” said sports director Jochen Schneider. The case now also concerns the DFB control committee.
There were also two other positive findings. Ferryman representative Frederik Rönnow thwarted numerous good chances of the opponent is a goalkeeper on whom the team can also build in the future. And in the young defender and Bundesliga debutant Kilian Ludewig, a solution to the problem on the defense side seems to have been found. The 20-year-old was able to look forward to an extra praise from the trainer: “He did a very good job. I am very satisfied with him. “
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