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Schalke cheers: Suat Serdar, Can Bozdogan and Amine Harit
Photo:
Bernd Thissen / dpa
Schalke 04 achieved their second win of the season in the Bundesliga on matchday 28.
The home game against FC Augsburg ended 1-0 (1-0), the early goal was scored by Suat Serdar (4th minute).
Mathematically, the relegation is still possible for Schalke, but it is no longer realistic with twelve points behind the relegation rank, especially since the two rivals Cologne (17th) and Mainz (16th) can score points in the direct duel on Saturday evening.
“Everyone expects us to beat the bottom of the table in passing.
There is a danger there, ”warned Heiko Herrlich before the game, who was still unbeaten as a coach with Augsburg against Schalke.
And he should be right about the danger, because the home team started efficiently.
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar crossed halfway in from the left, FCA keeper Rafel Gikiewicz let the ball ricochet forward and Serdar took advantage of the mistake to make it 1-0.
It was the first lead for S04 since January 30th, when the game against Werder Bremen ended 1: 1.
This time, however, the Schalke leadership held.
Augsburg increased the pressure, pressed higher - Ruben Vargas had the best opportunity after 20 minutes of play, when he only had Ralf Fährmann in front of him, but failed in the one-on-one against the Schalke goalkeeper.
The squires withdrew a little, hoping for a counterattack.
And earned the lead because the more committed Augsburgers failed to close and Serdar had previously missed a second goal: His finish from around 15 meters went right past the gate (35th).
After the break, Schalke was lucky twice: Captain Benjamin Stambouli put a cross in his own penalty area artistically, but unhappily for Vargas.
Goalkeeper Fährmann was able to prevent an equalizer from the FCA attacker (56th).
Just a minute later, Augsburg's Marco Richter was upset about his missed opportunity from a very short distance, but he shouldn't have had to, because team-mate Raphael Framberger had received the ball beforehand.
The referee team did not miss this (57.)
Artistic it was also in the 76th minute: Richter started the overhead kick, but the ferryman fended off to the corner.
Gikiewicz, still very unhappy with the opening goal, parried a Huntelaar free kick a little later (81st).
The game lived from its tension in the final phase, but there were no big chances, and so Schalke could look forward to a rare sense of achievement.
Remaining in the Bundesliga is still very unlikely.
The look at the remaining game days could at least give the Schalke courage.
In the five games, Eintracht Frankfurt is the only opponent from the top half of the table, so maybe the team will succeed in some victories after all.
In any case, the one against Augsburg was the second after the 4-0 win over Hoffenheim - it was successful on January 9th.
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