Darko Churlinov was the celebrated man of the evening in FC Schalke 04’s important 2-0 home win over SC Paderborn on Friday. The player on loan played as a right winger, where the Gelsenkircheners recently had major personnel worries and solved his task outstandingly.
The North Macedonian primarily threw in what his coach Dimitrios Grammozis had demanded of him: the joy of running and speed on the right flank.
Churlinov was very active and committed on the unfamiliar right side from the start. In addition to his defensive duties, he also intervened in the attacking game as requested and also showed himself several times in front of the opponent’s goal.
In the middle of the second half, the 21-year-old initially missed a hundred percent when he hit the post from almost five meters after strong preliminary work from Thomas Ouwejan.
“There’s no excuse. I just have to put it in,” Churlinov himself said afterwards.
What he missed in the 62nd minute, Churlinov made up for twelve minutes later with his second goal of the season to make it 2-0 for Gelsenkirchen: “I have a strong enough head and had no doubts about the second chance. I knew that I could have to do one to make up for it”, the S04 player was told in the “West German General Newspaperquoted.
FC Schalke reduced to the top of the table
With his decisive goal for the Royal Blues, the actual left winger crowned a strong performance, with which he offered himself for the coming weeks. “I did my job very well, I think,” Churlinov said about his performance on Friday evening.
Head coach Grammozis agreed after the game at “Sky” and emphasized above all the versatility of his substitute player on the right wing: “Darko is someone who always gives us solutions on the offensive, even against deep opponents in one-on-one duels wins.”
Thanks to the important home win against Paderborn, FC Schalke moved up to within a point of leaders FC St. Pauli for at least a few hours.