Schalke: Top 3 performances from 3-3 draw with Fortuna Dusseldorf
CB Ozan Kabak
Ozan Kabak has stepped into a starting center back role after Benjamin Stambouli’s injury and is flourishing, which comes to the surprise of precisely nobody. After all, Kabak was deemed one of the most promising young defenders on the open market this summer, and he chose Schalke over rumored interest from AC Milan and Arsenal.
Kabak scored three goals for Stuttgart last season as Bayern Munich signing Benjamin Pavard’s teammate on the back line, and the Turkish international has already scored two goals in two games for the Royal Blues this season after making his first Bundesliga start for the team last week against Augsburg.
He headed home the equalizer last week off a Daniel Caligiuri free kick, and he headed home the go-ahead 2-1 goal at the hour mark this week off a beautiful corner from left back Bastian Oczipka. Kabak’s movement off the ball and his precise header are both worthy of praise, but it is his instincts before the corner was played that matter the most.
Next. Full Player Ratings from Schalke vs. Fortuna Dusseldorf. dark
Kabak has shown that he can replace the goal-scoring threat on set pieces left by Salif Sane’s knee injury. Additionally, Kabak’s defending was solid despite the three goals allowed, and you can tell he studies Virgil van Dijk based on how ambitious his long balls are. Once he develops more chemistry with the forwards on these passes, the statistics will reflect how dangerous his balls from the back can be.