Germany: Schalke edges Cologne to jump to third
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading ...
(No Ratings Yet) Loading ...September 13, 2009
FRANKFURT (AP) — Schalke scored early in each half to win 2-1 in Cologne on Sunday and jump to third place in the Bundesliga. Hannover held Werder Bremen to a 0-0 draw that dropped Bremen to sixth place in the standings. Schalke took the lead two minutes into the game after a corner. Gerald Asamoah rose at the far post and headed back across the goal and Jefferson Farfan dived to head in. Only four minutes later, Lukas Podolski scored his first goal since returning to Cologne from Bayern Munich to tie the game. One minute into the second half, Farfan released Levan Kobiashvili on the left and the midfielder chipped a shot with the outside of his foot inside the far post to secure the victory for Felix Magath’s team. Cologne, the only team still without a win, remained at the bottom with one point after missing several chances in the second half. Captain Milivoje Novakovic broke free in injury time but Schalke’s goalkeeper Manuel Neuer stopped the shot. Schalke now has 10 points in third, three points behind Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen. Bremen entered the fifth round in third place and would have remained at least in a share of that that position with a win. But the well-organized Hannover team slowed the pace and reserve goalkeeper Florian Fromlowitz, playing for the ill Germany keeper Robert Enke, kept a clean sheet. Hannover’s Sofian Chahed cleared Claudio Pizarro’s header from the line, while on the other side Tim Wiese made a good save from Jiri Stajner. Fromlowitz stopped a powerful shot from Marko Marin, then parried two attempts by Pizarro. The Hannover keeper ran off his line to deny Mesut Oezil and Werder nearly paid the price for missing its chances when Didier Ya Konen almost beat Wiese late in the game. On Saturday, Bayern Munich romped to a 5-1 victory at Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger SV and Bayer Leverkusen both won to stay at the top on 13 points, with Hamburg ahead on goal difference. Hamburg beat Stuttgart 3-1 and Leverkusen won 3-2 at defending champion Wolfsburg, which dropped its third straight. Eintracht Frankfurt won 2-0 at promoted Freiburg to remain unbeaten and take fourth place at nine points, one more than Bayern. Hoffenheim beat Bochum 3-0 and promoted Mainz came from behind to edge Hertha Berlin 2-1 as both joined Bayern at eight points. Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Comments
Got something to say?