Schalke defeat Sandhausen 5-2 after a crazy second half

Latza and Terodde not in the squad

Dimitrios Grammozis was forced into several changes from the team that drew 1-1 in Bremen last weekend. Captain Danny Latza (bad bruise) and Simon Terodde (muscle injury) were both unavailable, so Rodrigo Zalazar and Marvin Pieringer were handed starts. He also opted to bring in Reinhold Ranftl and Florian Flick for Victor Pálsson and Mehmet Can Aydin, using his favoured 3-5-2 formation once again.

S04 with a number of chances

Schalke began the game well and had a number of chances in the opening stages. The first S04 shot was by Ko Itakura, who flashed one wide on the turn from an Ouwejan corner (3’). Two minutes later, Marvin Pieringer headed towards goal, though his effort was no problem for Patrick Drewes in the Sandhausen goal. Marius Bülter then had a great opportunity to put the home team ahead. Reinhold Ranftl put a ball into the box, however the striker couldn’t connect properly and the ball rolled past the far post (8’). Grammozis’ side then came even closer to breaking the deadlock. Just outside the box, defender Malick Thiaw cut inside and curled one off the bar on his left foot and Pieringer couldn’t direct the rebound on target (11’).

It took the visitors more than 20 minutes to be dangerous in any way. Aleksandr Zhirov headed over from a Ritzmaier corner (24’). This sign of life seemed to encourage them, as they then had another shot. Cebio Soukou struck it over from a low Bashkim Ajdini cross. At the other end, Florian Flick slipped while taking a shot and his effort went wide from distance (26’).

Sandhausen stabilised their defence for the remainder of the first half, keeping the hosts away from their goal. Rodrigo Zalazar pulled the trigger from 20 yards, Drewes easily saved it though (35’). A minute later, Pieringer drove one across the box, but Bülter couldn’t get on the end of it. The best chance of the first half was right at the end. Thomas Ouwejan whipped in a dangerous cross to an unmarked Zalazar, whose diving head was too central, and Drewes kept it out to keep it level at the break (44’).

Seven second-half goals

At the start of the second period, Sandhausen turned the game on its head. After S04 lost the ball in the opposition half, the away team broke quickly. Charlison Benschop played a perfectly timed ball through to Marcel Ritzmaier, and he beat Martin Fraisl to make it 1-0 (47’).

Schalke weren’t deterred by going behind and continued to get forward in search of goals. Dominick Drexler had the first opportunity to level the game, heading a Zalazar cross toward goal – Drewes was able to get down to hold it (56’). The SVS goalkeeper was finally beaten less than a minute later though. Drexler’s ball across the box was met by Thomas Ouwejan and the Dutch wing-back smashed it home (57’).

This goal seemed to give the Knappen a boost, evidenced by what happened next. Thomas Ouwejan delivered a cross from the left into the box. Chima Okoroji looked to clear it away from Marvin Pieringer, but he inexplicably set up Marius Bülter. Schalke’s number 11 hammered it home from close range to complete the comeback (64’). Bülter was then involved again in the next goal. On this occasion, he flicked on an Ouwejan corner at the near post, and it hit Aleksandr Zhirov on its way in (71’).

The two-goal advantage wouldn’t last long for Schalke, however. Pascal Testroet thumped one past Fraisl after a one-two with teammate Cebio Soukou (74’). Sandhausen’s hopes of a comeback were quickly dashed after a moment of magic from a Royal Blue. Reinhold Ranftl crossed the ball to the front post to find Marius Bülter, who sensationally found the back of the net with a brilliant backheel to restore the two-goal lead (76’). The impressive Zalazar looked to find a fifth to really kill the game off, Drewes was on hand to dig out his low drive (79’).

The Uruguayan did get his goal soon after, firing past Drewes after combining with Bülter on the counter (82’). That rounded off a fine afternoon of football in Gelsenkirchen as Schalke got back to winning ways with a 5-2 victory!

Big game up north

Schalke’s next fixture is away to high flyers FC St. Pauli at 20:30 CET next Saturday. The next home match is the following Friday against 1. FC Nürnberg.