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Loris Karius: We only showed what we're capable of in the final 25 minutes
There was little doubt about Schalke's best player in the 1-0 defeat to 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday (17/10). Loris Karius pulled off a string of excellent saves to keep the Royal Blues in the game, although the goalkeeper would have preferred a quieter afternoon. “It's really frustrating. When you're facing that many shots, you're clearly not doing everything right as a team,” he admitted. “And that makes it difficult to get anything from a home game against Mainz.”
Karius and his teammates had been prepared for an experienced Mainz side who arrived at the VELTINS-Arena with the best away record in the league this season. The visitors executed their game plan well, while Schalke, in the goalkeeper’s words, were “completely asleep at the start”. Karius was called into action immediately, denying Sheraldo Becker and Jae-Sung Lee in the very first minute to prevent Mainz from taking the lead.
The 33-year-old continued to impress throughout the game, making several more important saves to keep the Mainz attack at bay. Despite his outstanding performance, which earned him the Man of the Match award, Karius was understandably disappointed with the result. “We didn’t look switched on from the very first minute. We were sloppy at times and too slow to react. If you don’t get stuck in against Mainz, you’re going to have a difficult afternoon.”
Nevertheless, Karius was able to take some positives from the closing stages. “In the last 20 to 25 minutes, our body language was different and we started winning our individual battles. That allowed us to put them under pressure, and it showed what we’re capable of.” The focus now is on “continuing to work hard during the week and building some confidence. We want to be in the best possible shape for the next game against Köln.” Karius knows exactly where Schalke need to improve and expects to see “passion, fight and sheer determination” when the Royal Blues travel to Cologne next weekend.
