Mark Uth opens Schalke account as Miners see off Hannover for welcome win

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Schalke's Mark Uth was on target for the first time in Royal Blue as last season's Bundesliga runners-up picked up an important home win against Hannover, Nabil Bentaleb and Breel Embolo also on target for the victorious hosts.

Schalke 3-1 Hannover

Goals: 1-0 Bentaleb (pen. 57'), 1-1 Weydandt (70'),  2-1 Embolo (71'), 3-1 Uth (85')

A sense of urgency enveloping Andre Breitenreiter's men, who managed just one win all season prior to this game, the visitors failed to carve out the solid chance their early efforts merited. Buoyed by their own sense of urgency, Schalke soon tugged the pendulum their way. Aiming to open his Schalke account since a summer move from Hoffenheim, Uth was left wondering how he didn't do so after a frenetic first-half spell that saw a goal disallowed for offside, a penalty decision reversed by VAR and a chance the 27-year-old will know he should have converted when played through by Embolo. 

This fixture never before having finished goalless, some must have wondered whether that incredible run would finally end with this meeting in Gelsenkirchen. Not so. Continuing to menace inside the Hannover area, Uth proved too hot to handle for goalkeeper Philipp Tschauner whose foul on the Germany international led to the spot-kick that Nabil Bentaleb coolly converted. Hoping for a first win on the road in over a year, Hannover’s cause was helped when Hendrik Weydandt nodded in from close range. The visitors’s hopes were immediately dashed, however, Embolo beating Tschauner for his second of the campaign before Uth finally bagged his much sought after first Schalke goal before the end.  

Match stats

    Nabil Bentaleb has netted all seven Bundesliga penalties he has taken. In 57 Bundesliga meetings, this fixture has never ended in a goalless draw.Schalke scored just one goal in four Bundesliga home games prior to this fixture Uth opened his Schalke goalscoring account on his tenth Bundesliga appearance for the club. Chile left-back Miiko Albornoz played his 100th game for Hannover in all competitions.Hannover have been waiting more than a year for an away win in the Bundesliga. Their last win on the road was in October 2017, when they beat Augsburg 2-1.

Line-ups

Schalke: Nübel – Sane, Stambouli (c), Nastasic - Caligiuri, Bentaleb (Rudy 72'), Serdar, Harit (McKennie 89'), Schöpf – Embolo, Burgstaller (Serdar 58')
Unused subs: Langer, Naldo, Konoplyanka, Skrzybski
Absentees: Fährmann (muscular), Mendyl (suspended), Teuchert (hip)
Coach: Domenico Tedesco

Hannover: Tschauner – Elez, Felipe (Wimmer 37') (Weydant 65'), Anton (c), – Korb, Walace, Fossum (Muslija 73'), Albornoz – Haraguchi, Wood, Bebou
Unused subs: Weinkauf, Ostrzolek, Bakalorz, Sarenren Bazee
Absentees: Hübers, Prib (both ligaments)
Coach: Andre Breitenreiter

Watch: Bentaleb reflects on a "very good afternoon"

As it happened

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