2nd Bundesliga ghost game in St. Pauli
Double strike ensures Schalke stays in the league
As of: 8:53 p.m. | Reading time: 2 minutes
FC Schalke 04 will also play in the second division next season. The Gelsenkirchen team secured early relegation with a win in the ghost game in St. Pauli against VfL Osnabrück.
VfL Osnabrück is the first to be relegated from the second Bundesliga. The Lower Saxony team lost their home game against FC Schalke 04 0:4 (0:2) on Tuesday in the alternative stadium at Hamburg’s Millerntor. Two game days before the end of the season, VfL’s gap to the relegation place is an uncatchable seven points. The goals for Gelsenkirchen, who secured their place in the league with the win, were scored by Keke Topp (2nd and 75th minutes), Kenan Karaman (5th) and Assan Ouédraogo (65th).
The victory not only sealed Osnabrück’s relegation, but also relegation for the Gelsenkirchen team. Two match days before the end of the season, Schalke is eight points ahead of the relegation place, which Wehen-Wiesbaden currently occupies.
Schalke celebrates staying in the league two match days before the end of the season
Quelle: Getty Images/Michael Titgemeyer
This means that the turbulent season for Schalke comes to a somewhat conciliatory end. The Royal Blues can approach the last two games of the season in a relaxed manner.
Ghost game at St. Pauli because of the dilapidated stadium in Osnabrück
After the city of Osnabrück closed the stadium at the Bremer Bridge for security reasons and no spectators were allowed at the Millerntor, VfL found it very difficult to cope with the ghostly atmosphere. Schalke duped the Osnabrück defense on the first two occasions. First Topp completed Simon Terodde’s preparatory work, then Karaman beat VfL keeper Philipp Kühn with a well-placed shot from the edge of the penalty area.
The ghost game of St. Pauli
Quelle: Getty Images/Michael Titgemeyer
After the early lead, the guests withdrew and left the field to the Lower Saxons. Except for a long-range shot from Athanasios Androutsos (39′), Osnabrück didn’t get any dangerous shots. Even after the break there was hardly any rebellion from VfL. Substitute Ouédraogo and Topp sealed the purple-whites’ eighth second division relegation with Schalke’s goals three and four.
