Schalke's freshly appointed manager experiences a dismal start at home.
Schalke 04's Struggles Deepen Under van Wonderen, Suffer 3-4 Defeat at Home
Schalke 04's misfortune continues under Kees van Wonderen, losing 3-4 at home to SpVgg Greuther Fürth. Playing a man down for majority of the game, the relegated giants suffered a crucial defeat. With another loss, they risk slipping to 16th place by the next game. Max Grueger (32'), Paul Seguin (78'), and Taylan Bulut (90.+2) scored for Schalke, but their comeback fell short. Herculean effort from Felipe Sanchez saw him receive a red card (48.) which weakened Schalke further.
Roberto Massimo (23', 39'), Damian Michalski (27'), and Noel Futkeu (62') scored for Fürth, where interim coach Leonard Haas celebrated a successful start. After a 0-4 home defeat in the Franconian derby against 1. FC Nürnberg, the club dismissed coach Alexander Zorniger and long-term manager Rachid Azzouzi.
Schalke's display in defense was disastrous before their DFB-Pokal game against FC Augsburg, with Massimo scoring twice with little challenge, and Michalski unmarked for his header goal. Schalke's equalizer surprising but Sanchez's red card dashed any comeback hopes. Futkeu sealed 1-4 victory for Fürth, with some spectators even leaving the stadium, and the ultras turning their backs on their team. Schalke's dismal record includes only two wins and two draws in ten games, painting a grim picture.
SV Elversberg Outpaces Hamburger SV
SV Elversberg inflicted a second defeat of the season on Hamburger SV, winning 4-2 (1-1). In front of 9,502 spectators, Davie Selke (6' and 83') scored both goals for HSV. Fisnik Asllani (41' and 53'), Luca Schnellbacher (63'), and Robin Fellhauer (90.+6) scored for the hosts. In a topsy-turvy finale, the guests lost Jonas Meffert and co-trainer Merlin Polzin to red cards.
Elversberg started with confidence but quickly faced setbacks. A seemingly harmless pass from Jean-Luc Dompé was redirected by Elversberg's goalkeeper Nicolas Kristof into Selke's path, who made no mistake. Elversberg swiftly regrouped, as Lukas Petkov had the first good chance, but his shot from outside the box just missed the mark. Asllani then capitalized on a mistake to score, catching HSV goalkeeper Daniel Heuer Fernandes off guard.
After the interval, Asllani responded quickly and doubled Elversberg's lead with a rebound. HSV coach Steffen Baumgart attempted to turn the game with a triple substitution, but it fell short. Schnellbacher sealed the victory for Elversberg with a superb team goal. Selke's second goal narrowed the deficit, but Fellhauer's late strike sealed the deal. Two red cards in the final six minutes - for Meffert (tactical foul) and Polzin (dissent) - further marred the evening for HSV.
Karlsruher SC's Unbeaten Run Snapped
Karlsruher SC's unbeaten run came to an end with their first defeat of the season. Christian Eichner's team lost 1-3 at home to Hertha BSC, paving the way for Hertha to edge closer to the top spot. Goals from Ibrahim Maza (9'), Dayevisio Zeefuik (49'), and Florian Niederlechner (58') secured the win for Hertha, despite Marvin Wanitzek missing a penalty earlier. Budu Siwsiwadse (45+3) equalized for Karlsruhe, after which Maza had to leave the field due to an injury.
With both sides starting strongly, Maza opened the scoring for Hertha with a delightful pass from Mikael Cuisance. Karlsruhe fought hard to recover, with Niederlechner missing a golden chance for the visitors (15'). Karlsruhe ramped up the pressure around the 25-minute mark, but a penalty kick opportunity went awry when Wanitzek hit the post. After reviving, Karlsruhe equalized on the brink of half time through Siwsiwadse's header.
Following the break, Hertha reasserted control. Kevin Sessa came close to scoring for the visitors, but Zeefuik capitalized on the resulting corner, securing Hertha's lead. Niederlechner then extended their lead with a powerful strike. Karlsruhe attempted to claw their way back into the game, but Hertha held firm to secure their victory.
Despite their recent struggles, Schalke 04 showed resilience in their Soccer match against SpVgg Greuther Fürth, scoring three times through Max Grueger, Paul Seguin, and Taylan Bulut. However, their comeback bid was cut short by a man disadvantage due to Felipe Sanchez's red card, resulting in a 3-4 defeat at home.
Interestingly, the losing streak for Schalke could potentially see them slip to 16th place in the standings if results go against them in the next game.
