Schalke brought an end to a truly disastrous run of 30 Bundesliga games without a win when they overcame Hoffenheim 4-0 on Saturday.
The result now means that they will not equal the worst run in Bundesliga history, when amateur side Tasmania Berlin went 31 top-flight games without victory in 1966.
While the result means very little in terms of Schalke’s placing in the German top flight, it’s a result that the whole club have been waiting for since a 2-0 win against Borussia Moenchengladbach on January 17, 2020.
Schalke 4-0 Hoffenheim: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
But who were the standout performers in the contest?
✔️ GOOD PERFORMANCE
Matthew Hoppe: 9.8
Sometimes drastic times call for drastic measures. And on Saturday Schalke coach Gross did exactly that by starting 19-year-old American striker Matthew Hoppe in only his fourth appearance for the Bundesliga side.
Fortunately for the new head coach, the youngster didn’t waste the opportunity to show what he can do.
After receiving a smart through ball from Amine Harit just a few minutes before the end of the first half, Hoppe found himself inside the Hoffenheim box with the time and space to lob the ball over goalkeeper Oliver Baumann to open the scoring.
The striker then doubled his tally early on in the second half when he once again got on the end of a through ball to round the keeper and tap the ball into the back of the net. A third came just seven minutes later when the young American once again found space in the box to lift the ball over a helpless Baumann in goals.
A hat-trick for the young forward in a performance that will undoubtedly go down in history for Schalke fans.
⭐ STAR MAN
Amine Harit: 10
Harit hasn’t had the best of season’s at Schalke. Prior to Saturday’s remarkable result the 23-year-old attacking midfielder had failed to score a single goal and picked up just two assists in eight appearances.
However, something happened against Hoffenheim that just allowed the Morrocan forward to click into gear and from start to finish he was the main creator for Christian Gross’ side.
Harit’s first notable contribution came just three minutes before the break when he set up Schalke’s first goal. However, it was his through ball for the second goal, just 11 minutes into the second half, which seemed to really suggest something had changed for the Gelsenkirchen side.
His third, just seven minutes after the second, was simply the icing on the cake. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, the forward then stepped up 10 minutes from time to score a goal of his own. A perfect and remarkable performance from one of Schalke’s most important players.
❌ BAD PERFORMANCE
Oliver Baumann: 5.1
It seems like a lifetime ago that Hoffenheim once beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Bundesliga, but such was the travelling side’s horrendous performance at the Veltins Arena on Saturday.
At the heart of that poor performance was goalkeeper Baumann who, through no real fault of his own, looked entirely helpless throughout the match as Schalke routinely cut through Hoffenheim’s defence and scored with ease.
Over the course of the 90 minutes poor Baumann managed just one save against Schalke, despite conceding four goals.
Schalke 4-0 Hoffenheim: Player Ratings, Match Stats, Player Stats
Amine Harit 
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