Hwang Hee-chan recorded an assist in his first match back in Germany.
Schalke 04 defeated Union Berlin 3-1 away from home to earn their first win of the season.
Jung Woo-young also started the same match, resulting in a head-to-head meeting between the two players.
3-Line Summary
1. Hwang Hee-chan recorded an assist in his Schalke debut
2. Schalke defeated Union Berlin 3-1
3. The decisive moment was Hwang Hee-chan’s assist for the clinching goal
Came on in the Second Half Away to Berlin and Created the Clinching Goal
Hwang Hee-chan came on as a substitute in the 35th minute of the second half in Schalke’s away match against Union Berlin in the 3rd round of the 2026-2027 German Bundesliga season, held at the Alte Försterei in Berlin, Germany, on the 12th in Korea time. It was his Schalke debut.
According to reports by the Kyunghyang Shinmun and Newsis, Hwang Hee-chan sent a low cross from the right in the 58th minute of the second half, with Schalke leading 2-1. Maximilian Wöber finished it with a first-time right-footed shot to score the third goal. Hwang Hee-chan’s first assist led to a moment that extended the lead late in the match.
This assist was not merely an individual statistic. Schalke conceded a goal in second-half stoppage time, and the flow of the match could have become tense again. However, thanks to the goal created by Hwang Hee-chan, the gap was widened, and Union Berlin’s pursuit could not change the result. Schalke finished the match with a 3-1 victory.
Citing the football statistics site FotMob, Newsis reported that Hwang Hee-chan played about 23 minutes, including stoppage time, and recorded 11 touches, 6 successful passes, and 1 chance created. Given that the assist came in a short appearance, the match clearly showed how he used his first competitive opportunity with his new team.
Schalke’s First Win of the Season Lifted Them to 7th
Schalke had not won before this match, with 1 draw and 1 loss. Their away victory over Union Berlin gave them their first league win and put them in 7th place with 4 points. From the team’s perspective, a new attacking option created a decisive moment on his debut and contributed to the first win.
The opening goal came from Robin Gosens in the 25th minute of the first half. Schalke extended the gap with a goal by Adil Aouchiche in the 1st minute of the second half, followed by Wöber’s goal from Hwang Hee-chan’s assist. Union Berlin pulled one back through Tim Skarke in second-half stoppage time, but the match had already tilted toward Schalke.
Hwang Hee-chan joined Schalke on a one-season loan from English club Wolverhampton just before the transfer-window deadline on September 2. According to a Newsis report, he returned to Germany after 5 years, following his time at Leipzig in 2021. This match was also significant because his first Bundesliga record after the transfer was an assist.
Schalke’s record in their first two matches was 1 draw and 1 loss, and after this victory it became 1 win, 1 draw, and 1 loss. For Hwang Hee-chan personally, it was a starting point for adapting to his new league; for the team, it was a victory that ended their winless run at the start of the season.
Jung Woo-young Started, and the Head-to-Head Meeting Went Schalke’s Way
Jung Woo-young of Union Berlin also started and played until the 45th minute of the second half. With the two players facing each other in the same league match, a meeting between Korean players was realized. Jung Woo-young did not record an attacking point, but according to Newsis, he attempted 5 shots and tied for 1st among both teams in shots.
Union Berlin created several chances at home but failed to earn points. The fact that Jung Woo-young had a high number of shots must be considered together with his team’s defeat. Even though he made active individual attempts, the result remained with Schalke, who finished their scoring chances more decisively.
The key point of this head-to-head meeting was not simply that both Korean players appeared at the same time. Hwang Hee-chan created a cross that led to a goal after coming on as a substitute, while Jung Woo-young led the attack as a starter. The two players’ roles and results in the same match were different, and Schalke’s first win of the season became more pronounced through Hwang Hee-chan’s debut assist.
References
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