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Bochum's Manuel Riemann let the ball roll into his own goal
Photo: IMAGO/Ulrich Hufnagel
FC Schalke 04 draws hope in the fight to stay up in the Bundesliga: The promoted team from Gelsenkirchen beat VfL Bochum 2-0 (1-0) in the derby and is now in 17th place ahead of their local rivals.
Like the two Revier clubs, TSG Hoffenheim has 19 points, a 0-1 (0-1) draw at Mainz 05 exacerbated concerns about relegation.
FC Augsburg won their home game against Werder Bremen 2-1 (1-1), Gladbach and Freiburg parted without a goal, as did 1. FC Köln and Union Berlin.
Unbeaten in five games, conceding only one goal: Schalke 04 started the 23rd matchday as bottom team, but in much better form than the penultimate team from Bochum, who had lost all of the last three games.
Nevertheless, the Gelsenkirchen team didn't try to win the game at VfL, but trusted in their own defensive strength and left the game to Bochum.
That almost took revenge: Danilo Soares was able to pass the ball unhindered from the left wing into the middle, where Philipp Hofmann did not put the ball on target from close range (7th minute).
So Bochum missed the chance to take an early lead – so a fighting game took its course, which showed that the 17th received the 18th in the derby.
Consequently, it was not a playful moment that gave Schalke the lead, but a curious own goal: A cross from Rodrigo Zalazar touched Saidy Janko in the center of Bochum, and the ball rolled towards the goal line.
During the attempted rescue, Erhan Mašović and goalkeeper Manuel Riemann, who ultimately maneuvered the ball into the goal himself, got in trouble (45').
After the break, Riemann initially saved the narrow deficit against Simon Terodde (78'), but Schalke played the following corner as a clever variation, which Marius Bülter used with a low shot to make it 2-0 (79').
The supposed goal by Keven Schlotterbeck after a free kick (83rd) did not count because of an offside position.
Is the surprise team Union Berlin slowly running out of breath?
After the 0:0 against Schalke 04 and the 0:3 at FC Bayern a week ago, the third game without a win followed.
Once again, the Berliners remained without their own goals, top striker Sheraldo Becker becoming the symbol of the goal drought.
The 28-year-old has been waiting for a goal for nine games.
Cologne didn't have many chances either, but in the 59th minute the guests missed what was probably the best opportunity to take the lead.
Florian Kainz got a shot in the penalty area, but Union keeper Frederik Rönnow parried the shot from eight meters away with a strong reflex.
Union remains sensationally third, but the gap to temporary leaders Borussia Dortmund (Bayern Munich could pass again in the evening) has grown to five points.
SC Freiburg missed out on a place in the Champions League.
After the goalless draw in Mönchengladbach, coach Christian Streich's team remains fifth.
Borussia is stuck in the middle of the league and is far from the international places.
It was a fairly uneventful game for a long time, in which Freiburg and then Gladbach developed more of an effort to score from the second half.
Borussia forward Alassane Pléa had a great chance to win, but the Frenchman missed the ball from close range and sent it well over the goal in the 74th minute.
Ramy Bensebaini flew off the field just before the end of the game – the Gladbacher first shot the ball away, then he complained.
Yellow and red followed.
Giving the opponent a goal, still winning: FC Augsburg is gradually getting rid of relegation worries.
The initial phase against Werder Bremen started quickly, Rafał Gikiewicz saved early against Niclas Füllkrug (3rd).
Then Dion Beljo put FCA in front, for the Croatian, who signed from Osijek in the winter, it was the first Bundesliga goal (6th).
The equalizer followed due to a misunderstanding in Augsburg's defence: Gikiewicz and Jeffrey Gouweleeuw both didn't go for the ball when Leonardo Bittencourt crossed, and the cross slipped through to Jens Stage.
All he had to do was head into the empty goal (16th).
The game remained an exchange of blows at eye level.
The points stayed in Augsburg because the hosts came out of the break better: Werder let themselves be taken by surprise just seconds after the restart, and Arne Maier made the decision (46').
The mood at TSG Hoffenheim is becoming increasingly threatening.
In Mainz, the team lost for the sixth time in a row in the league, it was the 13th game without a win.
Under coach Pellegrino Matarazzo there has not yet been a single point.
The result of this disastrous record is pure relegation battle, TSG is currently 16th in the table.
and level on points with Schalke and Bochum, who are on the direct relegation zone.
Leandro Barreiro scored the winning goal for Mainz in the 33rd minute of his 100th Bundesliga game, after which the game flattened out, also due to weak guests.
This means that the 05s are on the upswing.
After the fourth win in a row, they currently have the international places in sight as they are seventh.
cev/jan
