Schalke took a step toward its first Bundesliga title since 1958 on Saturday, beating Hertha Berlin 2-0 to move six points clear in the standings.
Kevin Kuranyi scored in the 64th minute and Peter Loevenkrands added another 11 minutes later as Schalke won its sixth straight. Second-placed Werder Bremen was trounced 4-1 by VfB Stuttgart.
But Schalke needed some quality saves from 19-year-old goalkeeper Manuel Neuer in the first half against the fifth-place team in front of 62,000 fans at AufVeltins Arena before stepping up the pace after the break.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"We wasted two or three big chances in the first half, then they really applied the pressure," Berlin coach Falko Goetz said. "But we have the coming champions behind us now, so it will get easier. You can really tell out there they are playing for the title."
Schalke, which has two close misses at titles in recent years, was again able to rely on the most productive forward pair since the winter break.
Kuranyi dived to head in off a corner, giving the Germany forward three goals and three assists in three matches since the winter break. His through pass to Loevenkrands led to the Dane putting back his own blocked shot.
Schalke has 48 points, while Bremen has 42 and Stuttgart has 41. Bayern Munich is fourth with 34 points and even with yesterday's match against Arminia Bielefeld in hand appeared to be out of the title race.
Bremen fell victim to two early through passes behind the defenders, which set up Roberto Hilbert's score in the third minute and Mario Gomez's 12th goal in the 10th. Gomez, 21, now tops the league in scoring.
In a fast-paced match, which had 55,000 spectators at Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimlerstadion roaring, Ludovic Magnin scored in the 33rd minute for the hosts and Marco Streller added another in the 86th. Diego scored a consolation goal for Bremen in the 21st.
Bremen refused to write off the title, although it was also beaten 2-0 last week by Schalke.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two