2nd Bundesliga
FC Schalke 04 is keeping pace in the promotion race. The Royal Blues beat SC Paderborn at home. Meanwhile, competitor Heidenheim left points with a promoted player.
FC Schalke 04 celebrated a redeeming victory in the promotion race of the 2nd Bundesliga. Five days after the sobering 1-2 in Düsseldorf, the relegated team won 2-0 (1-0) against SC Paderborn, who had been unbeaten away from home until then, and also took some of the pressure off coach Dimitrios Grammozis. Marius Bülter (22nd) and Darko Churlinov (74th) scored the goals for the only partially convincing Schalke, who temporarily drew level with Hamburger SV on the relegation place.
Paderborn, eighth in the table, lost the Nimbus as the only team in the three professional leagues that was unbeaten away from home. Hurricane “Zeynep” did not disrupt the game; the arena roof remained closed. Since the center of attack was above the stadium during the game, the spectators were asked to remain in the arena after the final whistle.
Schalke, who had changed four positions, started more focused than in Düsseldorf, but Paderborn, who pressed well, also repeatedly uncovered uncertainties. The hosts needed a free-kick to take the lead, which Bülter, who had been ordered back into the attack, headed to score his seventh goal of the season.
But Paderborn remained courageous, coach Lukas Kwasniok brought in two fresh strikers at the break. The game became more open, but the post prevented a goal three times in less than five minutes: Schalke’s Churlinov (61st) and Simon Terodde (65th) as well as Paderborn’s Dennis Srbeny (63rd). But then Churlinov scored.
Dynamo Dresden – 1.FC Heidenheim 1:1
1. FC Heidenheim dropped two points in the promotion race. On Friday, FCH only drew 1-1 (0-0) at Dynamo Dresden. 6,792 spectators saw two completely different halves. Stefan Schimmer (55th) gave Heidenheim the lead. Dynamo striker Christoph Daferner converted a penalty kick into his tenth goal of the season after 59 minutes. Both teams kept their positions for the time being: Heidenheim is sixth, Dynamo twelfth.
Heidenheim presented themselves unimaginative in attack for 45 minutes. Although the guests had more than 66 percent possession of the ball, there was not a single shot on the Dynamo goal. But Dresden remained offensively harmless. Both defenses, on the other hand, were very committed.
After the break, Dynamo presented themselves much more offensively, which gave Heidenheim more space that the guests used to lead. Things got even livelier after the Dresden equalizer. However, there were largely no clear chances. Dresden’s Sebastian Mai rushed to miss immediately after being substituted on (85′) and Daferner also missed the chance to win from a tight angle in the final phase.