Guirassy brace helps Cologne earn draw at Schalke
Having staged a remarkable comeback of their own last week, Schalke were on the receiving end of a fightback at home to Cologne on Saturday evening as the Billy Goats twice came from behind to draw 2-2.
Schalke 2-2 Cologne
Goals: 1-0 Burgstaller (37'), 1-1 Guirassy (51'), 2-1 Harit (72'), 2-2 Guirassy (pen. 78')
Sent off: Osako (90+3')
Schalke were the overwhelming favourites going into this game, especially as bottom club Cologne are yet to win in the league this term, but although the Royal Blues enjoyed the better start against a visibly nervous visiting team, they lacked urgency in the final third. Schalke broke the deadlock eventually, though, when Daniel Caligiuri teed up Guido Burgstaller for an easy tap-in.
Cologne may have been down at the interval but they were by no means out of the contest and re-emerged for the second period with renewed optimism. They were rewarded early on when Sehrou Guirassy smashed home from close range following a free-kick. Schalke looked to have snatched the points, however, when Burgstaller's excellent run on the right set up Amine Harit, but Guirassy struck again, coolly converting a penalty after Benjamin Stambouli's hand ball. The hosts looked the likelier of the two snatch an winner, but Cologne held firm to earn a much-needed point.
Man of the match
Guirassy grew in confidence after his first goal and was subsequently greatly improved, winning the penalty from which he scored the equaliser to earn Cologne a vital point.
Match stats
- Guirassy scored his second and third Bundesliga goals of the season, and his fourth and fifth in his last seven competitive outings. Seven of Burgstaller's 15 Bundesliga goals have put Schalke 1-0 up.Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn made his 100th Bundesliga outing in this game. These two sides meet again in the DFB Cup just 17 days after this league meeting.Naldo and Claudio Pizarro are the oldest players in the Bundesliga this season.Naldo and Pizarro are former Werder Bremen teammates (2008-2012).
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Line-ups
Schalke: Fährmann (c) - Stambouli, Naldo, Nastasic (Schöpf 82') - Meyer - Caligiuri, Oczipka - Harit, McKennie (Goretzka 56') - Konoplyanka (Embolo 70'), Burgstaller
Subs: Nübel, Goretzka, Di Santo, Kehrer, Coke, Schöpf, Embolo
Absentees: Insua (ribs)
Coach: Domenico Tedesco
Cologne: T. Horn - Olkowski, Mere (Bisseck 46'), Sörensen, J. Horn, Rausch - Özcan, Lehmann (c), Jojic (Clemens 72') - Osako, Guirassy (Handwerker 82')
Subs: Kessler, Clemens, Klünter, Handwerker, Nartey, Pizarro, Bisseck
Absentees: Heintz (thigh), Maroh (thigh), Queiros (neck), Risse (knee), Bittencourt (groin), Hector (ankle), Höger (thigh), Cordoba (thigh), Zoller (thigh)
Coach: Peter Stöger