How Werder decided the game in seven minutes against Schalke

In the quarter-finals of the DFB Pokal, Schalke faced Werder Bremen with a new coach. The game unfolded into a much tougher battle, considering how bad this season has been for Schalke, although the 2-0 result does not suggest it. Despite what probably everyone anticipated, Schalke managed to hold Werder at 0-0 until Florian Kohfeldt’s men quickly scored two goals in the middle of the second half.

Tactical analysis of Schalke vs Werder Bremen

This tactical analysis will look into how Schalke made the game harder for Werder Bremen. But more importantly, it will focus on Schalke’s game plan to reduce Bremen’s attacking threat and how the guests tried to overcome the hurdle. Also, we will examine what tools Schalke used during their attacking phase.

Lineups

With Huub Stevens on board having recently replaced Domenico Tedesco, Schalke switched to a 3-1-4-2 formation after the 7-0 demolition by Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City. In the team selection, Stevens made some changes from to the last two matches, starting with the three blocks at the back. Benjamin Stambouli joined Matija Nastasić and Salif Sané, instead of Jeffrey Bruma.

Therefore, Omar Mascarell took Stambouli’s position as defensive midfielder. Stevens also changed the central midfielder pair of Sebastian Rudy and Suat Serdar. Rudy moved to the right flank as a wing-back and Serdar paired up with Nassim Boujellab. And up front, instead of Mark Uth, Guido Burgstaller played alongside Breel Embolo.