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Schalke striker Goncalo Paciencia (left) in a duel with Luca Kilian from Mainz
Quelle: Getty Images/Pool
Schalke 04 are not making progress in the Bundesliga, and there is no victory in the bottom of the table. At the top, RB Leizig overtakes FC Bayern and BVB. Unions Max Kruse is having a special day.
Dhe sheer fear of relegation in the neck, plus economic high pressure due to empty stadiums in Corona times – both Mainz and Schalke 04 were eager for a – at least sporty – liberation and the first win of the season.
With a 2: 2 (2: 1) both clubs missed the trend-setting success and are stuck in the table basement. Both in Mainz and at Schalke, since 23 Bundesliga games without a win, the imagination is fading that things could soon get better under the coaches Jan-Moritz Lichte or Manuel Baum, who were newly signed up about six weeks ago.
The guests started statistically stronger: Royal Blue had won all Bundesliga first round matches against Mainz – 14 in number. A bitter damper for Schalke’s ambitions came shortly after kick-off. Matija Nastasic cleared the Mainz Jonathan Burkardt in the penalty area. The penalty – after video analysis – converted Daniel Brosinski to 1-0 (6th minute). Schalke reared up, but remained headless in the conclusion. Bastian Oczipka (17th) and Mark Uth (22nd) gave great opportunities from close range.
In Uth’s second attempt, the first S04 away goal of the season: the striker set a free kick from 16 meters to 1: 1 (36th) in the right corner of the goal. An attack by Kabak brought Mainz the next penalty. The fouled Jean-Philippe Mateta converted to 2-1 (45th). Bad luck and luck for Schalke: First, Kabak’s goal was canceled due to previous handball (50th). Shortly before the end, however, Jeremiah St. Juste directed a shot from Schalkes Skrzybski to 2-2 into his own net (82nd).
RB Leipzig – SC Freiburg 3:0 (1:0)
RB Leipzig is also back on the road to success in the Bundesliga. Three days after beating Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League, coach Julian Nagelsmann’s team beat SC Freiburg 3-0 (1-0) on Saturday.
Ibrahima Konaté (26th minute), captain Marcel Sabitzer (69th / penalty kick) and Angeliño (89th) scored the goals for the Saxons and ensured that Freiburg has been without a win for six games. Leipzig, on the other hand, passed both opponents before the top match in the evening between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern and was temporarily in first place.
VfB Stuttgart – Eintracht Frankfurt 2: 2 (2: 0)
VfB Stuttgart keeps up with the top group of the league. Although the promoted team lost a 2-0 lead, they managed to score 2-2 (2-0) against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Frankfurt’s coach Adi Hütter had raised the question of where his team is “going” this season. From his point of view, the stop in Stuttgart was an indicator, and he quickly started with a setback. VfB striker Nicolas Gonzalez, who started this season for the first time after a long injury break, was brought down in the penalty area by Almamy Toure. The Argentine international then converted the penalty himself in the 17th minute.
Nicolas Gonzalez converts the penalty to the Stuttgart 1-0
Source: Pool via REUTERS
So it started as unfortunate as it usually ended in the past on trips to the Swabian metropolis: They had only won nine of 47 league games by Saturday. The half-time conclusion underlined that the hosts were initially willing to want to continue: They often embarrassed the Frankfurters, were more alert, quicker to think and more dangerous. Like in the 37th minute when Gonzales prepared Gonzalo Castro’s 2-0.
But Frankfurt was able to strike back, developed chances, of which Andre Silva could use one and scored to 1: 2 (61.). The Stuttgart lost control of the game, which should take revenge. David Abraham had little trouble to equalize after a corner with a header. But it was not enough for more. Frankfurt remained without a win for the fourth game in a row. For Guardians, this should have provided an indication of where the journey could go this season.
1. FC Union – Arminia Bielefeld 5: 0 (3: 0)
It was a one-sided game in Berlin. The self-confident and meanwhile undefeated players of 1. FC Union defeated the promoted Arminia Bielefeld 5-0 (3-0) and climbed to fourth place in the table.
Goal scorer Robert Andrich (center) thanks preparer Max Kruse, once again the man of the game
Source: dpa / Maja Hitij
The game was decided after twelve minutes. At this point Union was leading 2-0 with goals from Endo (3rd) and Andrich. The first was initiated by the Berlin star purchasing team Kruse, the second and third goal he prepared directly – Becker used the pass to 3-0 (45th). Then Kruse scored with a penalty to make it 4-0 (52nd) and set a record. Teuchert scored the 5-0 (89th).
It was his 16th penalty in the Bundesliga, all 16 he converted. Kruse drew level with Jochen Abel, who had scored 16 penalty kicks in the Bundesliga for VfL Bochum and FC Schalke 04 in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
FC Augsburg – Hertha BSC 0:3 (0:1)
After five games without a win, Hertha BSC has won again. The Berliners won 3-0 (1-0) at FC Augsburg. The game was decided shortly before the break, when the referee refused to acknowledge a goal by Hahn from Augsburg after an offside position and the Berliners took the lead in return. Uduokhai, who had been nominated for the German national team for the first time the day before, kicked striker Cordoba in the penalty area. Cunha used the penalty (44th). That was deserved, Hertha did more for the overall lean game and added twice through Lukebakio (52nd) and Piatek (86th).
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