After a torrid return to the top-flight for relegation-threatened Schalke, away fans in attendance at Borussia-Park would not have been holding up much hope before this game. They had not seen the Royal Blues in a Bundesliga-record 36 road trips, and with Mönchengladbach playing just days after an emphatic 4-1 win at Hoffenheim in midweek, the scene was set for an easy home win. However, it showed no immediate signs of materialising, with Sōichirō Kōzuki inspiring the Royal Blues forwards, but they couldn’t produce the required quality in the final third.
Fellow Japanese player Ko Itakura was the first to get forward for Gladbach, and he forged a great chance for the hosts when he strode forward from the back, but Ralf Fährmann got down well to deny his shot. Although they had conceded the second-most goals of any team in the Bundesliga this season, Schalke were valiant in defence, and managed to contain any Gladbach attacks. There were a flurry of chances for the home side just before the break, and but for a last-ditch challenge from January signing Moritz Jenz on Marcus Thuram, they would have gone into the tunnel a goal behind.
Thomas Reis’ team had the better of the chances early in the second half, beginning with a Tom Krauß header from a corner flying just wide of the top corner, with Jonas Omlin helpless. They were on the attack again moments later, following some chaos in the box which found its way to Simon Terodde, but the 2. Bundesliga all-time top scorer couldn’t poke past the Swiss goalkeeper. Daniel Farke’s side then had a chance after a one-two between Joe Scally and Jonas Hofmann allowed the latter to find Lars Stindl in the penalty area, but it was put well over by Stindl.
Seeing a chance of a rare positive result on the road, the Schalke fans found their voice, and their side pushed forward. Substitutes Marius Bülter and Michael Frey helped the game open up, and Frey saw a header saved well late on, but ultimately neither side could find the net before the final whistle. While not helping them make up any serious ground on the teams above the relegation places, Schalke earned a point, and a valuable one considering they had only picked up anything in two of their previous 12 before this match.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Moritz Jenz (Schalke 04)
