Schalke's delight at halting winless run
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Schalke's stars partied with their fans after finally breaking their seven-week winless streak in the German Bundesliga to go fourth in the table while coach Andre Breitenreiter admitted he had goosebumps. The Royal Blues won their first German league game since downing Hertha Berlin in mid-October when they romped to a 3-1 win at home to Hanover 96 on Friday, ending their run of five Bundesliga games without a win.
Schalke's man-of-the-match Leroy Sane ended up celebrating with the club's die-hard fans on the terraces and captain Benedikt Hoewedes led the singing.
"I've been really looking forward to seeing scenes like this after a game," said Schalke's relieved coach Breitenreiter. "I had goosebumps like never before."
It was smiles all round at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen as midfielder Johannes Geis converted a penalty before Klaas-Jan Hunterlaar made it 2-0 late in the second half. Hanover's French striker Allan Saint-Maxim pulled one back for the visitors in the final ten minutes. Argentina striker Franco di Santo scored his first goal for Schalke after 15 games in the blue shirt, with an 82nd-minute header.
"If we hadn't won again, we would have slowly lost our touch," said goal-scorer Geis. "The pressure is always there, especially if you haven't won your last five games. But you can feel the fans support and they have strengthened us."
The win had an extra element of relief as Schalke's strikers Huntelaar and Di Santos both netted after previously scoring just four league goals between them this term.
"The fans gave us the extra energy," said Holland's Huntelaar, the Bundesliga's top scorer in the 2011/12 season as Schalke have now just three games left before the winter break starts in a fortnight.