The Malta Independent 6 May 2024, Monday
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Schalke, Hamburg record welcome Bundesliga wins

Malta Independent Saturday, 31 August 2013, 21:15 Last update: about 11 years ago

Schalke ended Bayer Leverkusen's winning start to the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 2-0 win that relieves the pressure on coach Jens Keller following the club's poor league start.

Marco Hoeger scored against the run of play for the home side in the 30th, when he got a slight touch with the back of his head to Jefferson Farfan's free kick.

Son Heung-min came closest for Leverkusen in the second half, but was denied by a good save from Timo Hildebrand, before new signing Dennis Aogo called Bernd Leno into action at the other end.

Farfan secured his side's first win of the season with a penalty in the 83rd, after he had dusted himself off from Emir Spahic's poorly executed challenge in the area.

Kevin-Prince Boateng started for Schalke following his switch from AC Milan the day before.

The loss ended Leverkusen's club record eight-game winning streak in the Bundesliga.

Earlier Saturday, Hamburger SV defeated promoted Eintracht Braunschweig 4-0 to buy Thorsten Fink some breathing space after his side mimicked Schalke's start to the season.

"Now we have a bit of peace for the first time in two weeks," said Fink, whose side had conceded nine goals and claimed just one point from its previous three games.

Rafael van der Vaart slid in ahead of a defender to poke home the opening goal in the seventh minute, and Jacques Zoua made it 2-0 with a tap-in 10 minutes later after some shoddy defending from the visitors.

Hakan Calhanoglu scored in the 80th, one minute after coming on as a substitute, when Daniel Davari failed to hold his speculative effort, and Calhanoglu then wrapped up his side's first win of the season with a fine free kick in injury time.

"I always wanted to score two goals in a Bundesliga game. Today is a dream come true for me," said the 19-year-old Calhanoglu.

Hannover came from behind to defeat Mainz 4-1 and end the visitors' winning start to the season.

Mainz midfielder Nicolai Mueller scored his fifth of the season in the 12th, when a wayward clearance form Marcelo allowed Christoph Moritz set him up.

But Mame Diouf equalized with a header in the 31st, despite Johannes Geis' effort to clear off the line, Artur Sobiech made it 2-1 after Lars Stindl eluded three defenders to set him up, Didier Ya Konan scored after a well-worked move in the 80th, and Edgar Prib wrapped up the win three minutes later.

Borussia Moenchengladbach defeated Werder Bremen 4-1, with Juan Arango opening the scoring in the 36th after a great pass from Granit Xhaka, and Raffael scoring from a rebound in the 53rd.

Havard Nordtveit's own goal gave the visitors some hope in the 69th, only for Max Kruse to score five minutes later and Patrick Herrmann to wrap it up in the 85th.

Wolfsburg defeated visiting Hertha Berlin 2-0 through Ivica Olic's 42nd-minute strike, and a penalty earned and converted by Diego before the break.

"What bothers me is that we weren't able to get the third or fourth goal in the second half," Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking said.

Kevin Vogt's 84th-minute goal was enough for Augsburg to win 1-0 at Nuremberg, which had Javier Pinola sent off for a second yellow card in the 76th. The Argentine was furious with the decision and could see further sanctions for his reaction.

"The late goal wasn't so good for the nerves," Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl said.

 

 
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