Bryan Lasme: The goalkeeper rushed off his line, so it was the best option for me

Bryan Lasme had already shown what he can do from off the bench this season. In the home game against VfL Bochum on matchday 3, S04 also went behind and equalised, before winning it late on courtesy of substitute Lasme.

Back then in August, Lasme was brought on in the 71st minute, bagging the winning goal in that 2-1 victory eight minutes later. In Friday night’s battle between first and second in the league, the plan to deploy Lasme late on once again worked. For head coach Miron Muslic, the French attacker has attributes that are particularly useful during the closing stages of games: “Bryan Lasme gave us exactly what we needed at the end: runs in behind and pace. The way he finished the winning goal was outstanding.”

“The kind of thing we work on in training”

Schalke’s number 6 Ron Schallenberg also felt the game changed with Lasme’s introduction: “The whole stadium had more energy, you could sense it right away.” Having been out injured for almost two months, Lasme made the perfect return, netting the winning goal with a delightful dink over the goalkeeper, a finish he wasn’t too excited about himself: “The goalkeeper rushed off his line, so chipping the ball was the best option for me. It’s the kind of thing we work on in training.”

The 27-year-old Frenchman hasn’t always had it easy at Schalke, with injuries in particular repeatedly halting his progress. “I still need a bit of time to get back to 100 percent,” said Lasme, before adding: “But tonight was good for the games coming up. I’m hungry for goals, full of confidence, and really happy the coach believes in me.”

Captain Kenan Karaman, who set up Lasme’s exquisite winner, was equally full of praise for the match-winner: “Bryan is an important player for us, he shows it time and again. He just needs to stay fit, that’s what I’m wishing for him. If he manages that, he can become a real weapon for us, especially when opponents open up late in games. His pace and the composure he shows in front of goal are both outstanding attributes to have.”

Lasme, incidentally, has already scored against S04’s next opponents, Fortuna Düsseldorf (5/12, 18:30 CET) – though not yet in a winning effort. In four meetings so far, the quick forward has two defeats and two draws to his name, so the target for the next matchday is clear.