Marius Bülter: "We are within striking distance"

This is because the striker sees further potential to improve for The Royal Blues, despite their recent run of results. “Defensively we have been good. We have also scored goals and had a few good chances, but we have to make sure that we create even more opportunities,” said Bülter. That is something the team have been working on in training. “The main thing is that we know which spaces to move into and when to pass the ball and get forward using fewer touches,” explained the 28-year-old.

The importance of upcoming fixtures

In the last few games, the team didn’t always play as they could, “but we won,” Bülter elaborated. The forward, whose last goal was a screamer in the 2-0 friendly win in Lübeck, has been involved in eight goals in ten competitive games this season. For Bülter, the upcoming run of four league fixtures and a DFB-Pokal game is a critical period of the season. “The break did us good in terms of focusing on the four weeks before the next international break. We want to win some more points just as we did in the previous phase of the season,” he commented.

One man who has played a significant role in Schalke’s recent form is Simon Terodde and his goals. He is on the verge of becoming the all-time record goalscorer for the second division, and a goal in Hannover would cement his place as the outright record holder. “We will do everything we can in this game to help Simon score,” said Bülter, who is especially looking forward to the upcoming fixture because the regional government in Lower Saxony will be allowing the full capacity of 49,000 spectators into the stadium again. Bülter is excited to play in front of the fans that will be there in blue and white. “It’s going to be an amazing match. When you see a wall of blue and white supporting you, it motivates you even more. It’s a lot of fun playing in front of so many fans.”