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FC Schalke 04: 5 things we learned from win over Gladbach

By Kevin Parvizi

17 January 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: Football: Bundesliga, FC Schalke 04 - Borussia Mönchengladbach, 18th matchday in the Veltins Arena: Schalke's Omar Mascarell (l) and coach David Wagner hug each other. Photo: Bernd Thissen/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to exploit or have exploited in the stadium and/or from the game taken photographs in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo series. (Photo by Bernd Thissen/picture alliance via Getty Images)
17 January 2020, North Rhine-Westphalia, Gelsenkirchen: Football: Bundesliga, FC Schalke 04 - Borussia Mönchengladbach, 18th matchday in the Veltins Arena: Schalke's Omar Mascarell (l) and coach David Wagner hug each other. Photo: Bernd Thissen/dpa - IMPORTANT NOTE: In accordance with the regulations of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga and the DFB Deutscher Fußball-Bund, it is prohibited to exploit or have exploited in the stadium and/or from the game taken photographs in the form of sequence images and/or video-like photo series. (Photo by Bernd Thissen/picture alliance via Getty Images) /
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Schalke DM Omar Mascarell
GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY – JANUARY 17: (BILD ZEITUNG OUT) Omar Mascarell of FC Schalke 04 and Alassane Plea of Borussia Moenchengladbach battle for the ball during the Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and Borussia Moenchengladbach at Veltins-Arena on January 17, 2020 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany. (Photo by TF-Images/Getty Images) /

4. Mascarell is the perfect captain

Alexander Nübel understandably lost the captaincy when he chose to sign a five-year contract with Bayern Munich over re-signing with the Royal Blues, and while Schalke can’t take his decision personally after failing to extend him before the season started, he clearly had to lose the armband.

In his place, breakout star Omar Mascarell has become captain, and he looked like a perfect leader in Schalke’s win over Borussia Monchengladbach. Mascarell organized the midfield and defense expertly, as the Royal Blues proved impossible to break. He unselfishly guided his team to victory on the pitch, providing a calming influence on the ball when necessary while adding his usual quality to the defense.

5. A healthy Nastasic makes the difference

Matija Nastasic doesn’t get enough praise, and it’s easy to get overshadowed by Ozan Kabak, Salif Sane, and Benjamin Stambouli in Gelsenkirchen. But Nastasic is a quality defender in his own right and would be a starter on the vast majority of Bundesliga teams.

At Schalke, Nastasic is a backup, and it’s unclear how much playing time he’ll get once Jean-Clair Todibo is integrated into the squad and Sane and Stambouli return from injuries. But for now, Nastasic is healthy, back in the lineup, and rolling.

Next. Schalke vs. Gladbach Player Ratings. dark

Nastasic starred against Gladbach, showing his crisp passing and calm defensive work, never putting a foot wrong despite going up against some of the league’s best forwards in Marcus Thuram, Alassane Plea, and Breel Embolo. His defensive work against Thuram was particularly impressive.

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