Dhe FC Schalke 04 deservedly won the game against Hertha BSC and gave up last place in the table to the Berliners, who were completely indisposed at times. The team of coach Thomas Reis defeated the club from the capital 5:2 (2:1). With the victory, Schalke jumped to the Bundesliga relegation zone at least overnight. For Berliners, on the other hand, the situation in the tight race to remain in the class is becoming increasingly precarious.
The pressure on coach Sandro Schwarz is also increasing after the bitter defeat. His team went without a win for the sixth time in a row. In front of 61,981 spectators in the atmospheric Gelsenkirchen Arena, Tim Skarke (3rd minute), Marius Bülter (13th/78th) and Simon Terodde (48th) scored the goals for Schalke on Friday evening. Stevan Jovetic (45’+3′), Marco Richter (84′) and Marcin Kaminski (90’+2′) scored for the guests.
“There was a lot at stake, the pressure was great but we withstood it. We had good control of the game, that gave us security,” said Schalke’s two-time goalscorer Marius Bülter on DAZN: “We didn’t have many chances, but we took the ones we had.” The win gave “self-confidence, but we know that we haven’t achieved anything yet,” emphasized Bülter.
Both coaches had expected a tough game and rather little football skills – and then Schalke started with a dream goal. Less than 180 seconds were played when Skarke took the ball and dribbled into the penalty area. The 26-year-old almost seemed to have lost his way, but he stuck with it and flicked the ball from around 17 meters to the lower edge of the crossbar. From there the ball jumped into the goal.
For the winter loan from Hertha’s local rivals Union Berlin, it was the first Bundesliga goal of his career. Coach Reis enthusiastically stormed onto the pitch and threw both arms up.
Things got even better for the 49-year-old and his team. Dominick Drexler sent Skarke on the right flank, the goal scorer crossed to the center with pinpoint accuracy and there Bülter completed the goal with a header to make it 2-0.
Because Hertha also played forward despite the extremely unfortunate start, the spectators saw a very entertaining game. Berlin striker Jovetic had the goal on his foot, but Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann deflected the ball with a strong reflex to the post. The Gelsenkirchen fans cheered as if they had scored their own goal.
Black, on the other hand, was visibly dissatisfied with his arms crossed in his coaching zone. He made a substitution in the 26th minute. Former Schalke player Suat Serdar replaced Tolga Cigerci in midfield. Reis also swapped early – but involuntarily. Goalkeeper ferryman injured himself, Alexander Schwolow came for him.
Schalke not shocked
Because of the long interruption to ferryman’s treatment, there were four minutes of stoppage time. Hertha took advantage of this: Jovetic, who was a newcomer to the starting XI, scored well into the corner.
Schalke didn’t let that shock them. New substitute Kenan Karaman served Simon Terodde and the 35-year-old scored his fourth goal of the season in his first start-up since early February.
The hosts now had the match under control. The Berliners were hardly dangerous. Instead, Schalke went even further: The strong Bülter scored his second goal of the evening to make it 4-1.
Richter shortened after a fine counterattack by Berlin, but unfortunately injured his eye and even bled; Henning Matriciani accidentally caught his finger when the ball was already in the net. The last goal of the evening was scored by Kaminski, who crowned a perfect evening from the perspective of the “Royal Blues” with a great free-kick goal to make it 5:2.
