Schalke 04 is experiencing an increasing amount of hardships.
The Impact of New Manager at Schalke 04 Ain't Visible Yet (Not Yet). The Challenged Second-tier Team Slumped in Hannover. The Promoted Preußen Münster Endured a Disappointing Turn in the Relegation Zone. Fortuna Düsseldorf Strengthened Their Position at the Top.
Hannover 96 - Schalke 04 1:0 (1:0)
New tutor, old concerns: The second-tier Schalke 04 team suffered another setback with their new manager Kees van Wonderen, losing 0:1 (0:1) to Hannover 96 and staying near the relegation zone. Hannover, on the other hand, moved closer to promotion spots with their fifth win at home in a row. Fabian Kunze (4.) scored the only goal for the Lower Saxons.
The new Schalke coach barely had time to settle down before his team was trailing. After a free-kick cross from Enzo Leopold, Kunze outmaneuvered his defender Ron Schallenberg and netted the ball. Schalke's goalkeeper Ron-Thorben Hoffmann was unable to prevent it. Van Wonderen had not yet decided on his primary goalkeeper before the game, promising equal chances to Hoffmann and Justin Heekeren, after which a decision would be made.
With the lead, Hannover controlled the game. Schalke had some defensive issues and barely contributed offensively in the first half. Hannover played more purposefully but failed to capitalize on some good chances through Leopold (32.) and Andreas Voglsammer (45.+2). Schalke managed just one shot in the first half, by Felipe Sanchez (40.). After the break, Schalke remained passive in attack, while Hannover continued to control the ball but created few chances and had bad luck with an offside goal by Jessic Ngankam (84.).
Preußen Münster - SV 07 Elversberg 1:1 (1:0)
Preußen Münster missed a chance to separate themselves in the relegation battle, tying 1:1 (1:0) with SV Elversberg despite maintaining a lead for most of the game. Joshua Mees (20.) and Robin Fellhauer (84.) scored the goals in front of 11,507 fans at the Preußenstadion. The team in 17th place stays just one point behind Eintracht Braunschweig in the relegation playoff spot.
After a low-key start, Münster scored unexpectedly: Babis Makridis found Mees, who scored with a crafty move. Münster relied on tough tackling to keep Elversberg at bay. Andras Nemeth (60.) had the best chance of the second half, but Fellhauer scored a late goal instead.
Jahn Regensburg - Fortuna Düsseldorf
Fortuna Düsseldorf bounced back from their previous losing streak and retained their league lead with a 3:0 (1:0) win over bottom-dwelling Jahn Regensburg. Tim Oberdorf (44.), returning player Dawid Kownacki (81.), and Vincent Vermeij (89., penalty) scored for Düsseldorf, who had lost their first game in 21 consecutive second-division matches before the international break against Hamburger SV (0:3).
Jahn, once again appearing helpless, suffered their seventh loss on the ninth matchday, with coach Joe Enochs' team having a disastrous goal difference of 1:22. In the closing stages, Leopold Wurm was sent off with a yellow-red card (83.) for repeated fouls, and Bryan Hein (88.) was shown a red card for a professional foul. Initially, the game was tactically oriented, with the Rhinelanders having the majority of the ball, but they struggled against the league's bottom team. The greatest danger came from a corner, with Oberdorf dominating in a central position against Maximilian Breunig and heading in a goal. Kownacki (45.+7) should have made it two. After the break, the hosts became more active, with Düsseldorf offering spaces, but Regensburg often failed to take advantage, even against themselves. Eventually, Kownacki sealed the win.
Despite the new manager's arrival, Schalke 04's soccer struggles persisted, as they lost 0:1 to Hannover 96, continuing to linger near the relegation zone. On the other hand, Hannover's victory brought them closer to promotion spots, with Fabian Kunze scoring the crucial goal in the first half.
Post-break, Preußen Münster remained passive in their attack against SV Elversberg, missing an opportunity to increase their distance from the relegation playoff spot, settling for a 1:1 draw in a closely contested match.
