Guido Burgstaller: We can build on this performance

Burgstaller paid back the trust the coach had placed in him in full during the match. As the lone man up top in a 5-4-1 formation, the Austrian constantly pressured the opposing defence, while also looking dangerous in front of goal on several occasions and recording two narrow misses. Twelve minutes in, Burgstaller’s acrobatic attempt off a Weston McKennie pass hit the crossbar. Just minutes later he managed to place it in the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed after Burgstaller was narrowly offside.

Two narrow misses

“I came close twice,” said the 30-year-old, who was frustrated to not have been able to hand his side a 1-0 lead. “You usually don’t tend to get many chances against Bayern. If you want to beat them, then you have to take advantage of your chances. We could have won tonight.”

Burgstaller knows well that, in football, defeats are worth nothing. At the same time, the strong performance against Bayern was also good for the team’s morale. “Of course the disappointment over having been knocked out overshadows the feeling that we played well as a team. We managed to find our way out of certain difficult situations and showed real fight. It was not an easy night for Bayern,” said Burgstaller. “If we play like we did tonight against Hoffenheim on the weekend, then we’ll be able to take another three points in the league.”

The striker is also hoping to be able to continue to feature over the upcoming weeks. “Every match for Schalke is something special for me,” said Burgstaller. “I will continue to give my all and want to help the team.”