The royal blue descent continues: Schalke loses the crisis summit at Hertha BSC.
With their heads hanging, the Schalke pros crept into their corner after another blow to the neck, the encouraging chants from the fans could do little against the doomsday mood in the new bottom of the table. In the Bundesliga crisis duel at Hertha BSC, S04 conceded the sudden knockout to make it 1:2 (0:0) shortly before the end – even after the separation from coach Frank Kramer, the royal blue descent continues unabated.
“It’s extremely bitter. Shortly before the end you make it 1-1 against a direct competitor – the point would have been so important for morale,” said Schalke offensive player Marius Bülter DAZN: “We just don’t look good when we concede goals. In the phase we’re in, it’s not easy to deal with setbacks.”
Lucas Tousart (49th) put the Berliners in the lead after a serious mistake by goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow, who was loaned out by Hertha. “It’s particularly bitter for him, we’re trying to build him up now,” said Bülter.
In a game that was difficult to watch at times, Florent Mollet (85th) scored the absolutely deserved equalizer for the team of interim coach Matthias Kreutzer – but Wilfried Kanga (88th) hit the heart of the royal blue. Hertha coach Sandro Schwarz later spoke of a “dirty victory”. After the success of neighboring VfL Bochum against Hertha’s city rivals Union (2:1), the Gelsenkirchen team are new bottom after the eleventh matchday with just one win and six points.
During the week, sports director Rouven Schröder and sports director Peter Knäbel want to introduce a new head coach. It would be Schalke’s eighth coach in the past two years, after assistant coach Kreutzer took over responsibility at TSG Hoffenheim after Kramer was fired after Wednesday’s 5-1 debacle in the DFB Cup.
For Hertha, however, it was the redeeming first home win of the season. “We’ve played well in recent weeks and haven’t been rewarded. It was a bad game today, but we kept the three points,” said Hertha’s ex-Schalke player Suat Serdar DAZN: “This first home win is something very special.”
Hertha BSC: Jean-Paul Boetius back in the squad
In front of 60,165 spectators, both teams could see the great uncertainty at the beginning. Very little went together in terms of play, simple mistakes crept in, especially in the game structure. Hertha repeatedly invited the guests to counterattack, Schalke came dangerously in front of the goal of Berlin goalkeeper Oliver Christensen in an easy way.
But there was no luck – two supposed goals by Bülter were conceded again. The Berliners, for whom Jean-Paul Boetius came on just four weeks after his testicular tumor diagnosis shortly before the end, barely got in front of the opposing goal in the first half.
Shortly after the break, Schwolow of all people blundered and let Tousart’s long-range shot slip through. The Kreutzer team looked shocked, but fought for every ball – and was not rewarded.
Hertha BSC – FC Schalke 04: The voices
Sandro Schwarz (Coach Hertha BSC): “We showed outstanding morale from behind. We are overjoyed that we celebrated such a dirty victory. It was very emotional, we all needed that.”
Matthias Kreutzer (interim coach FC Schalke 04): “We came to the Bundesliga as promoted players and everyone knew what to expect. Hertha is lucky to win today. There were two unfortunate events, the team can build on their performance. We should have taken a point, that’s why we are so down. But we’re getting out of this.”
