Frank Kramer: We brought good intensity

“A goal would have been the icing on the cake, of course,” said the Schalke boss. But Kramer was nevertheless pleased with the intensity shown by his side in front of 1,850 fans in Wörgl. “We all worked together defensively, that was important.” The Salerno-based club never really threatened the Schalke goal across the ninety minutes of action.

In a match that stood out for the number of challenges, Schalke also struggled to create a glut of chances. There were one or two opportunities to take the lead, however. “Overall it was a decent showing. There were one or two occasions when we ought to have taken the shot on, though. The lads can shoot well but they have to actually do it.” But it is understandable that not every attack ends with a goal at this point in preseason. “The longer that we work together as a group, the better things will become.

Maya Yoshida played the first 45 minutes as he made his Schalke debut. The captain of the Japan national team signed on the dotted line last week and looked impressive against Salernitana. “Maya played with total calm, giving the other players instructions,” said Kramer. “Maya is never nervous when he gets the ball. He finds solutions and knows how to conduct himself in the tackle.”