Schalke's winless run ends with win over Augsburg

BERLIN: An early goal by Suat Serdar put an end to Schalke's 12-game run of winless Bundesliga matches and secured the team their first win since January. In the direct relegation clash, Mainz secured a late 3-2 win at Cologne to move two points above the drop zone. Birthday boy Serdar's goal in the fourth minute, Schalke's first at home in six games, was enough to secure a 1-0 triumph over Augsburg on Sunday, DPA reported.

Schalke, however, remain bottom of the table and with a very complicated mission to avoid relegation, sitting 13 points away from safety.

"We deserved the win, I deserved the goal. We all fought and supported each other, that's the only way to succeed," Serdar summed up.

Augsburg are 11th, six points above the drop zone and coach Heiko Herrlich recognized the team are now "of course under more pressure."

Earlier this season, Schalke went on a winless run of 30 games, narrowly avoiding Tasmania Berlin's league record of 31 thanks to a 4-0 victory over Hoffenheim and a Matthew Hoppe hat-trick in January.

Mainz moved up to 14th place and sit two points above the relegation zone.

Cologne dropped to 17th, in the direct relegation places, and left the play-off spot, now occupied by Bielefeld with a three-point advantage. Agencies

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