It is all to play for in the second leg of the all-German UEFA Europa League last-16 tie, with Schalke 04 and Borussia Mönchengladbach drawing 1-1.

Jonas Hofmann had given Gladbach the lead with what could be a vital away goal, but Guido Burgstaller scored a controversial equaliser for Schalke ten minutes later after Raffael appeared to be fouled in the build-up.

The hosts were the better side in the second half, especially after the introduction of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, but they couldn’t give themselves the advantage ahead of next Thursday’s return game.

Part two of Schalke-Gladbach trilogy

This was the second meeting of three in 11 days between the two sides. They met at a wet Borussia-Park on Saturday in the Bundesliga, with Gladbach winning 4-2. Fortuntately for die Knappen, this would turn out to be a better display.

Down in thirteenth in the league, the Europa League is probably their best chance of qualifying for Europe next season. They made two changes, with Holger Badstuber and Nabil Bentaleb replaced by Johannes Geis and Sead Kolasinac, as Markus Weinzierl reverted to a four-man defence.

Gladbach have won all of their last four, including their dramatic victory against AFC Fiorentina in the last-32, but made three changes here. Timothée Kolodziejczak – making his first Gladbach start – Tobias Strobl and Jonas Hofmann came in for Andreas Christensen, Patrick Herrmann and Christoph Kramer.

Burgstaller strikes back after Hofmann opener

The game started at a decent tempo. An early attack from the hosts ended in Yann Sommer easily saving a Leon Goretzka attempt, whilst Ralf Fährmann did well to block a Hofmann cross. There were plenty of fouls early on too and three players earned themselves yellow cards – Strobl for Gladbach, Thilo Kehrer and Geis for Schalke.

Gladbach took the lead 15 minutes in. Fabian Johnson dispossessed Alessandro Schöpf and found Lars Stindl, with Gladbach’s skipper playing the ball through to Hofmann who put it in via goalkeeper Fährmann.

Schalke equalised ten minutes later, albeit in somewhat controversial circumstances. Raffael may have been fouled by both Benedikt Höwedes and Matija Nastasic as they won the ball back. Nevertheless they were allowed to break, with Goretzka setting up Burgstaller who beat Sommer with a one-touch finish.

Hofmann came close to restoring the lead for Gladbach soon after, blocking his shot before Nastasic dealt with his rebound cross, whilst Fährmann also kept out a Stindl attempt. Goretzka kept Sommer busy at the other end, but it was Geis who came closest, with an excellent free-kick from some distance tipped away by Sommer.

Schalke unable to take lead into second leg

The second half began slowly. Young Schalke defender Kehrer was lucky not to be penalised for barging into Johnson on the edge of the box.

Shots for either side were restricted to headed chances. Jannik Vestergaard was unable to head Raffael’s free-kick past Fährmann, whilst a Geis corner was put over by Höwedes. André Hahn had an opportunity soon after coming on for Johnson, but his header was well over the bar.

The introduction of Choupo-Moting appeared to be the catalyst for Schalke’s best spell of the game. After he had a shot saved by Sommer, he couldn’t quite head the following corner towards goal with Burgstaller unable to the loose ball in at the far post.

The Cameroonian then set up Burgstaller for a shot that deflected off Tony Jantschke onto the bar, with Sommer saving Daniel Caligiuri’s follow-up shot.

Indeed Schalke finished the stronger, with Gladbach in the end happy to take the 1-1 draw. Choupo-Moting had another chance saved by Sommer late on, before the keeper put a Geis free-kick over the bar. With the teams finishing all square, it sets up a tantalising second leg in exactly a week’s time.

VAVEL Logo
About the author