Omar Mascarell: Benefit from self belief

Omar, would you agree with the statement that you performed well in the derby?

Yes, we played well against a strong opponent and were in control of the action for long stretches. Our pressing was especially good and this allowed us to do very well against one of the league’s top teams. We represented Schalke well in such an important game. We’ve shown in the past weeks that we are on the right path. We were able to build on that today.

It could’ve been a win in the end…

Football is about scoring goals and winning games and that’s our problem right now. We must continue to think positively, otherwise we’ll never get there, but of course we know that we need to improve in that respect.

How will you go about trying to solve this problem?

We as a team have to help the strikers break the spell. Sometimes we make the wrong decision in front of the goal, sometimes we just don’t get the luck we need. It is good that we’re creating chances – it gives us a positive feeling heading in to the upcoming games. In training, we are working hard to turn our chances into goals but it needs to improve soon, because we’ve played better than our results have shown in previous weeks.

You do everything you can to get a result week after week. What has changed for you in comparison to last season?

Last season was not easy for me but the situation has changed. Each of us has gained a lot of self-confidence in recent months. You notice that in our game. We play really compact in midfield and we fight for each other. We believe in our strength which makes everything a lot easier because everyone benefits from it and you notice that out on the field.

Now it’s on to Tuesday (29/10) In the second round of the DFB-Pokal against Arminia Bielefeld. What do you make of this one?

It is always tricky when you have to compete against a second division side in the cup. We’re playing away and are always under pressure and expectation as the Bundesliga club. We know that our opponents will fight with everything they have but we have to deal with it with passion and, as in derby, we have to show that we are Schalke 04!