Two of the Bundesliga’s biggest clubs are staring relegation in the face once more but have given themselves fighting chances“On a day like today,” exhaled Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness, “I told the boys they should go out to eat tonight, and they can have a beer as well. It’s part of letting your emotions out.” It was that kind of weekend at the bottom of the table, both for the Swabians and for Schalke, two huge clubs who have spent most of this campaign looking over their shoulders and not seeing much behind them – but two teams who, after this weekend, are very much alive and kicking.When the Bundesliga coins its marketing strapline “football as it’s meant to be”...
After several years of turmoil, Schalke look determined to preserve their Bundesliga status this seasonIf you’ve got an early chance to nail your colours to the mast and make a good impression with your new fans, you have to take it – and that’s exactly what Nico Schlotterbeck did. Earlier this week, shortly after making his Bundesliga debut for Borussia Dortmund, the young Germany centre-back was a guest on a chat show on the club’s in-house television channel in front of a live audience.The Sky presenter Sebastian Hellmann, Schlotterbeck’s fellow panellist, mentioned an upcoming assignment at Schalke’s game with Borussia Mönchengladbach, the Top-Spiel (top game) of the second weekend of the league season, in the prime Saturday early evening, 6.30pm...
The Serbian forward instantly rediscovered his scoring touch for Eintracht Frankfurt after a miserable stay at Real Madrid on the same night the captain David Abraham bade farewellIt felt like not just a goal but a release, a way of making a longed-for expression – of frustration, of indignation, and of relief. Luka Jovic’s first goal back at Eintracht Frankfurt had taken three days and, in on-pitch terms, 10 minutes to arrive and it was worth it, unhesitatingly smashed into the Schalke net from his compatriot Filip Kostic’s delivery. Related: Antonio Conte outsmarts Andrea Pirlo in great leap forward for Inter | Nicky Bandini Related: Fifa dismisses Atlético's appeal against Kieran Trippier's 10-week suspension Related: Messi sent off as Athletic...
Without a win since 17 January, Tasmania Berlin’s infamous run set in 1966 is now perilously close for Die KönigsblauenNever mind needing Christmas to absorb everything that’s happened to Schalke in 2020; we might need the holidays just to make sense of everything that’s happened in the space of the last week. Eight days ago, Manuel Baum’s team were within seconds of lifting a gargantuan weight from their shoulders by way of a first Bundesliga win of the season, at Augsburg.Since then we’ve had Marco Richter’s 93rd-minute equaliser that put an end to those hopes, a comprehensive home defeat to Freiburg which was more in keeping with their season so far, the sacking of Baum – the second head coach...
The few fans who saw the draw with Union Berlin were keen to remind the players of the upcoming Revierderby’s importanceIt briefly felt like a potential turning point, if not quite a vindication. When Gonçalo Paciência’s header, applied to Omar Mascarell’s corner, crept inside Andreas Luthe’s near post, the roar was hearty even from a meagre crowd. At the end of a week in which the 300 available tickets for Sunday’s home game with Union Berlin were distributed to key workers, a welcome splash of feelgood after weeks and months of bad news for Schalke and their fans, it felt good. It felt positive. A first point won this season was at least some relief, and out of step with...