Schalke 04 celebrates a narrow 1-0 win against Darmstadt – El-Faouzi shines!

Schalke 04 celebrates a narrow 1-0 win against Darmstadt – El-Faouzi shines!

On Friday evening, FC Schalke 04 won an important 1-0 win against SV Darmstadt 98. The victory wasn't a spectacle, but the three points are worth gold for Gelsenkirchen, especially in this season's relegation battle.

The game took place in Darmstadt, where Schalke impressed with a solid defensive performance. Goalkeeper Loris Karius was hardly under pressure and only had to save one shot in stoppage time, which earned him a grade of C. In defense, Mertcan Ayhan was in top form and won all duels - his performance was rewarded with a grade of 2.

Defensive strength and brilliant offensive play

Nikola Katic was also a central figure in the defense and defused everything that came at his goal, so that he also rose to grade 2. Hasan Kurucay cleared safely in the penalty area and only had to receive a yellow card, which also earned him a 2. On the left flank, Adrian Gantenbein was able to score points with a strong cross to Moussa Sylla, but he was not always solid defensively, which led to a grade of 3.5.

Particularly noteworthy is the outstanding performance of Soufiane El-Faouzi. With an assist for the decisive goal and a grade of 1, he set the course for Schalke's success. It was Moussa Sylla who finally scored the goal of the evening and received a grade of 2 for it. Ron Schallenberg's winning of the ball in front of the goal was also crucial and earned him a grade of 2.

Injuries and substitutions

Christian Gomis came on as a substitute in the second half, but was injured in the 84th minute without getting a grade. Also on the bench was Finn Porath, who got his moment in the 63rd minute and helped defend the lead, which earned him a grade of 3.5. Kenan Karaman, who also originally started, always tried to put his teammates in the spotlight and was rated 3.5 for this. Several players, such as Felipe Sanchez and Mika Wallentowitz, were used in the final stages but were unable to score.

FC Schalke 04 is now building on this important victory to free themselves from the relegation battle. The club is currently well on its way to breaking the negative spiral after being unable to keep up in the Bundesliga last season. Many fans hope that solid performances like this will help them stay in the league.

For further information on current seasonal developments, Kicker offers in-depth insights at kicker.de. There are also comprehensive statistics and historical data on the relegated teams in the Bundesliga on fussballdaten.de.