Christopher Antwi-Adjei: Not always an easy thing to do

The forward returned to the starting line-up in Bielefeld, having been an unused substitute the previous weekend against Greuther Fürth. He made the most of the opportunity, recording his first shot just 20 seconds after kick-off, although he was unlucky to only hit the side-netting.

Eleven minutes later, Antwi-Adjei combined with Moussa Sylla to put the opposition defence under pressure deep inside their own box. Goalkeeper Jonas Kersken attempted to build out from the back, but his pass was easily picked off by Antwi-Adjei, who then slotted it into the back of the net. “I had a feeling that something like that could happen, and in the end, I was in the perfect position,” said Antwi-Adjei. “I didn’t take long to think about it in the moment, but instead decided to take the risk of taking it first time and just slotted it home.”

The attacker worked hard in the first half, looking to win possession and take shots. He was then also involved in the build-up to the Royal Blues’ second goal of the afternoon, delivering the cross that eventually led to Hasan Kuruçay’s strike to make it 2-0. “I’m pleased that the coach has shown that he has confidence in me and I’m happy to have scored, but in the end, the most important thing is the win,” said the 31-year-old. “The fact that we’re able to bring in solid replacements for players who are out injured, is something that defines us as a team.”

Despite their opponents managing to cut the deficit early into the second half, Schalke were still able to hold on to record a 2-1 win. “I’m proud of how we dug deep as a team. We’re mature enough now to be able to win matches such as this one – that’s not always an easy thing to do,” he explained. The 31-year-old then mentioned the quality of the team once again, adding “We’ve had several close games already, but have been able to deal with those moments due to our new mindset.”