Stand: 09.01.2021 | Reading time: 4 minutes
Sead Kolasinac (left) had hardly been able to collect match practice at Arsenal FC recently, but that was not noticeable against Hoffenheim
Source: Getty Images / Lars Baron
A 19-year-old former regional league striker saved Schalke from the historical negative series. Matthew Hoppe scores three goals at the peat festival against Hoffenheim. The ex-Schalke Özil has made another match winner.
Nafter almost a year finally another victory. Thanks to three-time goalscorer Matthew Hoppe, FC Schalke 04 ended its historic negative run in the Bundesliga after 30 games. After the longed-for liberation in the 4-0 (1-0) against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Schalke’s coach Christian Gross was very satisfied. “I’m really happy for the team and especially for our fans. With the 1-0 win, the team gained even more confidence. But we also know that luck was on our side today, ”said the Swiss after his perfect home debut.
The celebrated match winner on Saturday was the 19-year-old striker Hoppe with his first Bundesliga goals in the 42nd, 57th and 63rd minutes of the game. Amine Harit (80th), who had prepared the other three goals, contributed the fourth goal. Both received special praise from the coach: “Hoppe had a terrific day that he will always remember,” said Gross. “Harit also played an outstanding game.”
This saved the Revierklub from setting the negative record for Tasmania Berlin. The Berliners had a total of 31 games in a row without a win in the 1965/66 season. With the first success since January 17, 2020, the Revierclub sent an important sign of life in the fight against relegation. Schalke also remained without conceding a goal for the first time since February 2020, in the 26 Bundesliga games in between there had always been at least one goal.
Nevertheless, the situation with seven points after 15 match days remains critical for Schalke, who at least gave up the last place in the table to FSV Mainz 05. Gross saw no reason for euphoria: “We are aware that we still have almost 20 difficult games ahead of us. We want to build on this performance. “
Kolasinac was the captain of the Schalke team
At the Hoppe gala, Sead Kolasinac’s Bundesliga comeback almost went under after three and a half years. But the professional on loan from Arsenal FC was allowed to lead his team onto the field as captain for the injured Omar Mascarell. With his physical game and some advances, Kolasinac brought life to the Schalke game. Again and again he was wanted by his teammates and showed that he is the hoped-for reinforcement. “He has a lot of experience and helps us enormously with his personality,” said Gross.
Mesut Özil continued after the final whistle. He congratulated his former club and especially Kolasinac. “Yes my brother! Ladies and gentlemen – The Kolasinac effect, ”wrote Özil on Twitter after the final whistle on Saturday. In the post in English, the 32-year-old Özil described his former teammate Kolasinac, with whom he had played at Arsenal, as a “machine”.
Kolasinac himself said: “It was a lot of fun. We have decided that we want to get the basics like one-on-one management done first, that the passports arrive and that we communicate with each other. We did that well at the beginning. But we also have to thank Ralf Fährmann in the first half, who did a great job two or three times. We waited for our chances, got them and then took them. “
Kolasinac (left) celebrates with match winner Hoppe his first goal to make it 2-0
Source: Pool via REUTERS
TSG with coach Sebastian Hoeneß, on the other hand, missed connecting to the midfield and calming down the environment. Hoeneß spoke of a “bizarre result”: “Unfortunately, we didn’t use our chances in the first half. And in the second half we acted too headless, ”said Hoeneß, who had to cope with Ryan Sessegnon and Robert Skov, which added up to twelve.
After a very good start, the Kraichgauer collapsed completely against the worst team in the league to date. And the few counter-chances were left behind. A counter-attack (23rd) almost led to success, but Schalke’s goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann was able to save Ishak Belfodil’s shot with a foot defense in dire need. Fährmann later also fended off the shots from Andrej Kramaric and Diadie Samassekou (30th). In the end it was mainly the goalkeeper who kept Schalke on course for victory with numerous good saves. “We had to rely on an excellent goalkeeper today. He held everything “, praised Gross.
Hoppe (14th) had missed the first Schalke chance after good preparatory work by the playful Harit. But the next attempt worked: the ball came to the former Schalke Regionalliga player via Kolasinac and Harit, who overcame TSG goalkeeper Oliver Baumann with a nice lob and cheered his first goal. “Schalke had the effectiveness today that we lacked,” confessed Hoeneß, who should also sit on the bench against Bielefeld. “I feel the trust and we work well together. For us, it’s about mastering the difficult situation together. “
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