Desperate Schalke nearly snatches a miracle
The seemingly inevitable outcome of the 2nd Bundesliga's top clash looks to be a distant memory after 26 minutes. FC Schalke 04 finds themselves 3-0 down against Fortuna Düsseldorf, but an impressive second-half showing almost salvages the day. Alas, Schalke falls short.
A dismal 2nd Bundesliga showing from the relegation-threatened Schalke has seen them cling to the basement in the 16th position. Their recent misfortune continued as they suffered a 3-5 defeat at Fortuna Düsseldorf, marking the fourth loss under new coach Karel Geraerts in six competitive matches.
Düsseldorf, who suffered captain Marcel Sobottka's withdrawal due to a thigh injury, climbed to third place after the victory. Players like Vincent Vermeij, fresh from his concussion recovery, and veteran sporting director Klaus Allofs, were both pleased with the outcome. "I'm really pleased for Vince," Allofs said on Sky. "He's worked hard this season, but hasn't scored many goals yet." Vermeij contributed to the win with a double strike (13', 26'). The other goals were scored by Felix Klaus (19'), Christos Tzolis (65'), and Jona Niemiec (90.+4').
Although Schalke appeared to falter after a poor beginning, they demonstrated remarkable fortitude in the latter half. Former Düsseldorf player Marcin Kaminski (57'), Tomas Kalas (74'), and Bryan Lasme (75') stepped up to score and narrow the gap to 3-3. Schalke's resilience was commendable, but it was not enough to orchestrate a thrilling 4-4 comeback, as happened on the 6th anniversary of the derby at Borussia Dortmund.
The first half was disastrous for Schalke. A handful of chances were squandered, but Düsseldorf took advantage of sloppy play to go 3-0 up. Vermeij capitalized on Nicolas Gavory's cross to open the scoring. The 2-0 was scored after a low cross from Tzolis, leaving goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann in no position to defend against Klaus' deflected shot. Vermeij added to his tally with a header when the ball rebounded off the crossbar and seemed to confuse Fährmann.
The resilience in Schalke's second-half performance was noteworthy, with Geraerts making three substitutions and switching to a back four. The changes seemed to help Schalke improve their fortunes, who got back on track. However, the Schalke ultras stopped supporting for a short while, before Lasme's goal reignited their passion.
Despite the 3-0 deficit at half-time, FC Schalke 04 showed a remarkable tenacity in the second half of the 2. Bundesliga clash against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Marcin Kaminski, Tomas Kalas, and Bryan Lasme scored to bring Schalke within striking distance, but the come-back attempt fell short. Schalke remains in the relegation zone, while Fortuna Düsseldorf advances to third position with Vincent Vermeij leading the charge in the win.
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The article does not mention a recent match between Schalke 04 and Fortuna Düsseldorf. However, Schalke 04 had a dismal performance in their most recent match against FC Magdeburg, losing 2-5 in February 2025[1][4].
There is no mention of a player named Vincent Vermeij in the provided sources. The article solely discusses the match statistics and team performances in the 2. Bundesliga. Therefore, to gain a more nuanced understanding of Vermeij's recent impact on the team, one should look for more recent match reports or updates. Based on the given information, Schalke 04's overall 2. Bundesliga performance has been disappointing, with the loss to Magdeburg being the latest major setback[1][4].
