A lot of struggle, but only one point: After the 0-0 draw against 1. FC Köln, Schalke 04 are still far behind in the race against relegation from the Bundesliga.
Disappointed, the Schalke players sank to the ground, helplessness was on the faces of Ralf Fährmann and Co., while the fans gave encouraging applause. Despite a big fight, Schalke 04 continues to lag behind in the race to stay up in the Bundesliga. Five days after the 6-1 debacle against RB Leipzig, the bottom of the table improved in the 0-0 draw against 1. FC Köln, but it wasn’t enough for the much-needed third win of the season.
“It was a good reaction. Little things are missing, but I liked the way we performed,” said Schalke coach Thomas Reis DAZN: “If anyone deserved the win, it would have been us.”
Ralf Fährmann saw it similarly. “We have to win now. The fans deserve it,” said Schalke’s goalkeeper. “We fought better on the pitch. We don’t have the individual class like other teams – but we have the heart.”
But heart and passion alone will not be enough to stay in the league. The gap to the first non-relegation place is still six points after the start of the second half of the season. “We resisted. If we do that, we’ll score,” said striker Simon Terodde, who admitted, “We’re disappointed.”
Schalke veteran ferryman celebrates comeback
And that is all too understandable. In the last ten league games, the promoted team only scored four times, but the original Schalke ferryman, who was back in the Bundesliga for the first time in 20 months, kept the zero.
Reis promised that the reactivation of the goalkeeper would give “a fresh impetus to the team”. Most recently, the 34-year-old held the 0-1 draw in Cologne on May 22, 2021 – long after Schalke had relegated. A similar fate now threatens.
In addition, Reis offered loan players Tim Skarke (Union Berlin) and Moritz Jenz (FC Lorient) for the first time, second division record scorer Terodde returned to the starting XI, playmaker Rodrigo Zalazar, who returned to the squad 120 days after breaking his metatarsal, initially sat on the bench.
Schalke: Zalazar with an acclaimed comeback
Skarke and Jenz were responsible for Schalke’s first chance to score: After the winger’s cross, the central defender failed with a header at Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe (2′). The bottom started more committed and aggressive than in the debacle against Leipzig. The game against the ball was significantly improved, in own possession the attempt to play quickly over the wings could be seen.
Nevertheless, Cologne was more busy on the defensive than the wildly gesticulating Baumgart would have liked. It looked similar after the break: Schalke tried, a header from Tom Krauss (64th) missed the target. A little later, Zalazar made his comeback to the cheers of the 61,571 spectators.
FC Schalke 04 – 1. FC Cologne: The voices of the game
Thomas Reis (Schalke 04 coach): “I saw a team that invested everything and accepted the duels. We would have liked three points. It hurts a bit, we have to live with the 0-0. Of course we need more points, but the way was OK.”
Steffen Baumgart (Coach 1. FC Cologne): “It was an even game. We’re happy with the point, we worked hard for it. We defended well. It was a complete relegation battle for 90 minutes.”
FC Schalke 04 – 1. FC Cologne: The data for the game
