Shell-shocked Schalke seek Hoffenheim redemption

Reuters/Berlin

Schalke 04 have no time to lick their wounds from recent confidence-sapping defeats at home and in Europe with the Ruhr valley club needing victory against Hoffenheim tomorrow to stay in contention for a top-four finish.

A 6-1 demolition at home against Real Madrid in the Champions League was followed by a 5-1 crushing by Bayern Munich last week, heaping pressure on coach Jens Keller’s team, who are desperate to secure a spot in next season’s elite European tournament.

To make matters worse, Schalke, in fourth place in the Bundesliga, will be without suspended Kyriakos Papadopoulos, who was sent off last week, while fellow central defender Felipe Santana will also be out injured.

Keller may also need a replacement for Peru international Jefferson Farfan, with the winger skipping training this week due to a knee injury and doubtful for Saturday’s home game.

“Obviously that was a week to forget,” captain Benedikt Hoewedes said. “It is very bitter when you concede 11 goals in two defeats within four days.”

“I hope we can put those defeats behind us in time for our match against Hoffenheim and show a different face.”

There is not much time for Schalke to fix things, however, with VfL Wolfsburg breathing down their necks in fifth place, two points behind and eager to make amends for their own heavy 6-2 defeat at Hoffenheim last week.

Mainz 05 and Borussia Moenchengladbach are respectively four and five points behind Schalke but both have shown they can beat most teams, putting in superb runs this season.

“We have to show a fighting spirit and be more aggressive, things we have been lacking lately,” Hoewedes said. 

“Even if the recent results were extremely bad, we do not want to talk about a total collapse. Everyone has understood that we need to react now.”

As Schalke look for a way to turn their season around, Bayern have little need to make any changes to their game when they travel to Wolfsburg.

With their last league defeat dating back 16 months and a 20-point lead in the Bundedsliga, they have all but secured another league title.

Borussia Dortmund will be battling to hold on to second place when they travel to relegation-threatened Freiburg on Sunday, while third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, two points behind, take on Hanover 96 a day earlier.