Werder hand Schalke the win

Team news: Ahead of the game, SV Werder announced the Niclas Füllkrug (calf problems) and Felix Agu (lack of training) would be missing for the game. In addition, Eren Dinkci (foot injury) didn’t travel to Gelsenkirchen.

Starting XI: Pavlenka – Jung, Stark, Stage, Ducksch, Weiser, Bittencourt, Veljkovic, Philipp, Friedl, Groß.

The bench: Zetterer – Pieper, Salifou, Schmid, Schmidt, Buchanan, Gruev, Mbom, Chiarodia.

Werder able to find the breakthrough

Werder were the better team in the first 45 minutes (Photo: WERDE.DE).

Highlights from the first half:

3rd minute: The game picks up speed straight away, with both Schalke and Werder showing their intent. There is a lot of pressure from both sides, with Stage and Bittencourt both trying in vain to get through Schalke’s defence.

6th minute: Stage breaks through on the left and drives towards the goalline. He tries to play the ball back to Bittencourt, but can only find a Schalke player. Ducksch then goes down in the box, but referee Dankert lets play go on.

12th minute: Philipp and Stage break through and win a corner. Ducksch sends this in high, but Schalke can head the ball clear and then find themselves on the counter. Zalazar plays to Karaman, who just misses the target.

18th minute: Goal! Marvin Ducksch scores for SV Werder Bremen to make it 1-0! What a great move it is, as well: Weiser plays Ducksch nicely through and he can’t stop scoring as he slides the ball into the corner. Werder take the lead!

34th minute: Schalke come down the left-hand side, and the ball ends up with Terodde in the penalty area. Pavlenka makes a strong save and tips the resulting shot just over the bar. Pavlenka is then able to clear the danger from the corner.

45th minute: Stage plays a great pass to Philipp, who puts a bit too much behind his shot and fires it just wide.

45th+4 minute: Bittencourt is played in by Groß and looks for Ducksch, who shoots well over the Schalke goal.

Schalke turn the game around

Werder’s performance clearly declined in the second half (Photo: WERDER.DE).

Highlights from the second half:

48th minute: Bülter has the courage to try a shot from distance, which is saved over the bar by Pavlenka, and the resulting corner is also cleared.

59th minute: Zalazar is one-on-one against Pavlenka, but Werder’s goalkeeper is alert and saves the ball for a corner. He is having a strong performance so far, and Schalke’s corner poses no real threat.

65th minute: A Schalke corner comes at pace to Pavlenka, who shows quick reflexes and clears the ball, which then falls to Krauß. He hits the bar with his shot.

69th minute: Zalazar hits another dangerous corner and again Pavlenka deals with it well. Schalke are getting closer to an equaliser and are showing more confidence in challenges.

74th minute: Now SVW are on the attack again: Bittencourt takes a shot and misses the goal by centimetres.

81st minute: The pressure finally tells. Sepp van den Berg scores for FC Schalke 04 to level the score to 1-1.

90th minute: Frey dribbles through Werder’s ranks and Weiser just manages to clear for a corner. The corner is hit out for a goal kick.

90th+1 minute: Ducksch is one-on-one against Schwolow, but waits too long and his shot is blocked well by the onrushing Drexler.

90th+2 minute: First he denies Werder the lead, then puts Schalke in front. Dominick Drexler scores for FC Schalke 04 to make it 2-1.

90th+6 minute: Full time. SV Werder Bremen are beaten 2-1 by FC Schalke 04.

Summary: Werder were dominant for parts of the match and deserved to take the lead. They started with more composure in their game and had more confidence. Schalke often stumbled in the final third. In the second half, things looked different. Schalke did not give in and showed good team spirit. In the end, the hosts rewarded themselves and rightly scored twice to win 2-1 in the end.