Schalke’s poor run of form continues with a 3-0 defeat against Augsburg

Schalke 04, after a terrible showing at Borussia Dortmund last week, were aiming to redeem themselves against Augsburg at home. Things didn’t go to plan though, as they lacked impetus in build-up play, and were careless in defence.

This was in direct contrast to Augsburg’s performance, who were clinical in attack and organised at the back. Augsburg took the lead in the sixth minute with a stunning freekick from around 30 yards out by Eduard Lowen. His shot nestled into the top corner which had Schake’s keeper Markus Schubert well beaten.

Over the next 20 minutes Schalke eventually came to grips with the game, as they dominated possession. Unfortunately for them, they weren’t able to create any substantial chances. They struggled to break Augsburg’s defence, who constantly pressed Schalke’s players, giving them very little time on the ball.

The Royal Blues’ first real opening came through Rabbi Matondo’s lightning-quick pace, as he ran down the left-wing, cut inside and took on a close-range shot. The Augsburg’s keeper’s right leg thwarted the Welshman’s attempt.

The rest of the half continued to be dominated by Schalke, but they failed to create chances, and the absence of Amine Harit might have been one of the primary reasons for that.

The start of the second half was rather frantic, as Schalke’s attempts to make progress in the front end of the pitch were constant and uncompromising. Their excessive focus on attack left them vulnerable at the back on multiple occasions.

However, Augsburg could not capitalise on any of these chances just yet. The clearest of their chances came through Florian Niederlechner, their top scorer this season. Niederlechner wasted his chance with a tame shot straight at the keeper. He had teammates around him, and probably should have passed the ball if Augsburg were to extend their lead.

Schalke’s final ball let them down on multiple occasions, as Daniel Caligiuri and substitute Ahmed Kutucu looked far from their best. Schalke’s defensive frailty was evident as well, with continuous mistakes in all areas of the game.

A poor defensive header from Salif Sane, and a lapse of judgement from Jonjoe Kenny gifted the ball to Augsburg’s substitute striker Noah Sarenren Bazee. Bazee advanced into the box and his superb curling shot flew straight into the top corner.

To make things worse for Schalke, another one of their mistakes led to a goal. Levent Mercan’s heavy touch in defence gave another one of Augsburg’s substitutes, Sergio Córdova, a clear run in on goal. The Venezuelan striker went around Schubert and slid the ball into the back of the net.

Schalke’s winless run continues into their ninth game on the trot. For a club with aspirations to secure a top-six spot, Schalke will need to fix this quickly. Augsburg, on the other hand, finally secured their first three points since the beginning of February. The win takes them to 12^th position on the table, drifting away from the dreaded bottom-three spots.

Lineups

Schalke: Schubert; Oczipka, Sane, Nastasic, Kenny, McKennie (Mercan 73’), Serdar (Kutucu 56’), Oczipka, Caligiuri (Boujellab 76’), Gregoritsch, Matondo (Raman 76’).

Augsburg:  Luthe; Framberger, Jedvaj, Uduokhai, Max; Khedira, Gruezo (Oxford 83’), Richter, Lowen (Moravek 70’), Vargas (Bazee 59’), Niederlechner (Cordova 83’).