Bayer 04 Leverkusen on Sunday moved back into the Bundesliga’s UEFA Champions League places with a 1-1 draw at injury-hit Schalke 04, who set a new club record of 13 league games without a win.
The result leaves Schalke winless since January’s 2-0 victory at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach, as they dropped to ninth in the table having been third in December last year.
A penalty early in the second half was converted by Schalke’s Daniel Caligiuri after a handball by Burkina Faso defender Edmond Tapsoba.
Photo: Reuters
However, Schalke defender Juan Miranda then turned the ball into his own net nine minutes from time to extend the winless streak.
Caligiuri was partly to blame for the late own-goal as he lost the ball to Leverkusen’s Brazilian defender Wendell, who crossed low into the Schalke penalty area and into the path of Miranda.
Leverkusen, who booked their place in the DFB Pokal final last week, are now fourth with three games left and heading for next season’s Champions League group stages.
Schalke are suffering from a mounting injury list, with 10 players out.
“I’ve stopped counting,” Schalke head coach David Wagner said before kickoff as he made four changes from the team that drew 1-1 at Union Berlin the previous weekend.
“We have to stand together as a team and fight, that was another step today after the game in Berlin,” Wagner added after the match.
Royal Blues under-19 captain Can Bozdogan made his debut on the right wing, while second-half replacement Jonas Hofmann, 23, also played his first Bundesliga match having been promoted from the reserves.
Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi was hospitalized with a severe concussion after a nasty clash of heads during FSV Mainz 05’s 1-0 defeat to Augsburg in Sunday’s relegation battle.
Liverpool loanee Awoniyi, 22, was left motionless after landing awkwardly following an aerial collision with Augsburg defender Felix Uduokhai in the first half.
Awoniyi was stretchered off with his neck in a brace after a long delay while he received medical attention on the pitch.
Mainz said Awoniyi, a former under-17 FIFA World Cup winner, was responsive and taken to hospital for observation.
“We have received the all-clear from the doctors,” Mainz coach Achim Beierlorzer said. “He has regained consciousness and can remember the things that happened. He has a severe concussion and has to stay in hospital for observation.”
Awoniyi has yet to make an appearance for Liverpool since joining the club in 2015, spending numerous spells on loan in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.
Augsburg moved seven points clear of the relegation playoff place after striker Florian Niederlechner scored the only goal just 43 seconds into the match.
Niederlechner was happy to atone for his penalty miss in the previous weekend’s 1-1 draw with Cologne.
“Last week I was the idiot, this week I am the hero,” he said. “That was a big step [toward safety], but we can’t afford to relax.”
Augsburg still have to face TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, third-from-bottom Fortuna Duesseldorf and Champions League quarter-finalists RB Leipzig.
Mainz stayed three points above the bottom three.
They came closest to equalizing when French striker Jean-Philippe Mateta rounded the Augsburg goalkeeper, but had his shot cleared off the line by defender Philipp Max.
Mainz face second-placed Borussia Dortmund tomorrow before Saturday’s crucial home match against Werder Bremen, who are second from bottom and three points behind them.
Omar Marmoush’s stunning long-range strike on Tuesday upstaged Kevin de Bruyne on the Manchester City great’s Etihad farewell. Marmoush let fly from about 30m to put City ahead in their 3-1 win against AFC Bournemouth in the Premier League. The victory moved Pep Guardiola’s team up to third in the standings and left qualification for the UEFA Champions League in their own hands heading into the last round of the season. “It’s really important. To be in the Champions League after what happened [this season] will be really nice,” the City manager said. De Bruyne was making his final home appearance for City before
TIGHT FINISH: Napoli only needed to do the same as or better than Inter, who won their game against Como 2-0 on the same day, leaving Napoli with a one-point lead The two players who Antonio Conte wanted more than any others secured Napoli their second Serie A title in three years on Friday. Scott McTominay scored with an acrobatic bicycle kick before halftime and Romelu Lukaku doubled the lead with a solo goal after the break in the decisive 2-0 home win over Cagliari. Conte became the first coach to win the Italian championship with three different teams. “Everyone contributed to this — but the coach most of all,” Napoli captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo said. “Napoli needed him to get back on top. He’s phenomenal.” Comparing it to his three Serie A titles won
The journey of Taiwan’s badminton mixed doubles duo Ye Hong-wei and Nicole Chan at the Malaysia Masters in Kuala Lumpur came to an end in the semi-finals yesterday after they suffered a 2-0 loss to China’s Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping. Ye, 25, and Chan, 20, teamed up last year and are currently ranked No. 23 in the world. The Taiwanese shuttlers took on China’s second seeds in the mixed doubles event, but proved no match for Feng and Huang, losing the match 10-21, 7-21. In the first half of the first game, the pairings were neck and neck at 6-7 until Ye
SSC Napoli coach Antonio Conte has dragged the team back from disaster and restored them to the top of Italian Serie A, but his future at the Scudetto winners is in doubt even after a triumphant season. The fiery 55-year-old has exceeded preseason expectations and bolstered his reputation as a serial winner by guiding Napoli to their fourth Scudetto, and second in three seasons. However, he might well be on his way in the summer after just one season at the helm as his charged relationship with Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis has simmered throughout the campaign. Conte has said
RSS