Schalke denied maximum returns as Niclas Füllkrug's late strike earns Hannover a point
A first-half strike from on-loan Croatia forward Marko Pjaca looked to have helped Schalke to return to winning ways, only for Niclas Füllkrug to deny the hosts and send Hannover home happy.
Schalke 1-1 Hannover
Goals: 1-0 Pjaca (16'), 1-1 Füllkrug (86')
Boasting a six-game unbeaten home run going into this Matchday 19 encounter, Schalke hit the front shortly after the quarter-hour mark, Juventus loanee Pjaca taking advantage of some superb work by Amine Harit before curling a shot beyond Philipp Tschauner from inside the area. Hannover enjoyed a superb start to the current campaign, and they momentarily displayed some of that earlier form when Felix Klaus thumped a shot that appeared goalbound, only for the post and then goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann to intervene.
Prior to the encounter, there was plenty of talk surrounding the Bayern Munich-bound Leon Goretzka - a starter here - yet it was the lively Harit who drew most of the home fans' attention as the second half progressed. The 20-year-old Morocco international continued to torment the visitors with his dizzying runs, the latest allowing Alessandro Schöpf a sight of goal the Austrian failed to capitalise on. At the other end, the arrival of substitute Martin Harnik led to chances for Ihlas Bebou and Klaus, and although Fährmann successfully dealt with those efforts, there was nothing the Schalke custodian could do to prevent Füllkrug slamming home a late equaliser after the hosts had lost Weston McKennie to injury.
Watch: Marko Pjaca happy with first Schalke goal ...
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Match stats
- Home defender Naldo equalled Ze Roberto's record as the Brazilian with the most Bundesliga appearances (366).Schalke have won only one of their last seven games.Domenico Tedesco's side have conceded 15 goals in that run, more than any other team.Hannover have already picked up more points (27) than they managed in the entirety of 2015/16 (25) when the club was relegated.Schalke are unbeaten in the last seven Bundesliga home games, while Hannover ended a run of four losses on the road here.In 56 Bundesliga games, these sides have never played out a goalless draw.
Line-ups
Schalke: Fährmann (c) – Kehrer, Naldo, Nastasic – Schöpf, Meyer, Goretzka (McKennie 63' - Stambouli 83'), Pjaca (Embolo 56'), Oczipka – Harit– Burgstaller
Unused substitutes: Nübel, Di Santo, Konoplyanka, Tekpetey
Absentees: Caligiuri, Insua (ribs)
Coach: Domenico Tedesco
Hannover: Tschauner – Korb (Harnik 69'), Sane, Anton, Ostrzolek (Benschop 85') – Sorg (c), Schwegler (Karaman 80'), Fossum - Klaus – Bebou, Füllkrug
Unused substitutes: Esser, Elez, Bakalorz, Hübner
Absentees: Prib (cruciate ligament), Jonathas (thigh)
Coach: Andre Breitenreiter