Schalke has the ball more often against Union Berlin, wins more duels – and yet it goes down. It’s frustrating, but it’s also a source of insight
Schalke’s start to the season was okay for a promoted team: only one defeat in three games, and an unfortunate one at 1. FC Köln with a man down. But after the bitter 1: 6 (1: 3) home defeat on Saturday (08/27/2022) against Union Berlin, the interim balance is much bleaker. With two more points, Schalke fell back to 16th place. Above all, the performance in the second half caused displeasure.
“You can’t let yourself be slaughtered like that”, said goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow in the WDR interview. “The reaction after half-time doesn’t work at all. We sat together and said: If you score another goal now, with the spectators behind you, anything is possible. Then you come out, it’s 4-1 – and that’s like a A blow to the neck, that was brutally pointed out to us. We have to address that and do better against Stuttgart next week.”
Union with three goals from five shots
The first setback, the early 0-1 by Morten Thorsby (6th) in his starting XI debut, Schalke had put away well. “Schalke was more alert, more aggressive and lively”, said Union coach Urs Fischer. The climber dominated the action, Marius Bülter (31st) equalized with a hand penalty.
But then some bad luck and Union’s ruthless effectiveness came into play. Sheraldo Becker’s deflected shot tumbled into the net (36′) and Janik Haberer wouldn’t sink his dropkick from 25 meters like this every week (45’+3′). Fischer called Unions 3-1 break lead “rather happy”. The Berliners lived up to their reputation as kings of efficiency: they scored three goals with five shots.
Schalke more often on the ball
That Beckers 4: 1 right after the break (46th) Schalke then “the plug” pulled, coach Frank Kramer saw it that way too. Faith has been lost. The result: Union hardly had any problems defending Schalke’s attempts to attack and increased to 6:1 thanks to a brace from joker Sven Michel (87′, 90′).
One of the decisive factors was that Union was able to follow through with its proven wait-and-see attitude thanks to the almost continuous lead. In the duel between the two teams with the lowest ball possession so far, the Berliners only had 42 percent ball possession phases – that’s even one percentage point below the previous season’s average. Schalke couldn’t take advantage of the fact that they had the ball on their own feet so often.
Schalke wins more duels
More statistics: Schalke had the same number of shots on goal (12) and even more duels won (53.5 percent) – but obviously lost the important duels. “We have to learn from it very quickly, namely how the Bundesliga works,” said trainer Frank Kramer to the WDR. “That you have to assert yourself in crucial situations and zones. Union showed us today how that works. We learned the hard way.”
Union Berlin as Bundesliga teacher for FC Schalke 04 – these are the current balance of power in German top-flight football. Union has ten points after three wins from four games, just as many as league dominator FC Bayern Munich. The home game against Bayern on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. will be a top game of second against first.
Bülter hopes for a defiant reaction
Schalke are playing at VfB Stuttgart at the same time and are already under pressure. Sports director Rouven Schröder held back criticism, but also said: “If you get six, we as a team, as a club, have to do things better and do it relatively quickly.”
Striker Bülter is hoping for a defiant reaction. “Maybe it’s good to get something like that on the bag. That might sharpen your senses again.”