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Gelsenkirchen (dpa) - The beaten bottom table FC Schalke 04 sent a late sign of life in the relegation battle of the Bundesliga.

After twelve games without a win, they achieved a 1-0 (1-0) win against FC Augsburg.

While the Revierclub can still hope a little thanks to the goal of birthday boy Suat Serdar (4th minute) at 13 points behind the relegation place six games before the end of the season, Augsburg missed a preliminary decision in the relegation battle.

The FCA is only six points ahead of 16th place in the table - after the previous matchday it was nine points.

The Schalke team not only recorded their second win of the season and the first under coach Dimitrios Grammozis.

With the goal of Serdar, who turned 24 on Sunday and scored 2-2 in the first leg, they also prevented another negative mark: Schalke 04 had previously been without a goal in five consecutive home games.

SC Freiburg (2009/10 season) and VfB Stuttgart (2014/15) keep the league record with six goalless home games.

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The first surprise came before the kick-off, because Schalke's coach Grammozis had carried out a staff rotation: The slightly ailing captain Sead Kolasinac sat on the bench until the 74th minute.

Since his return on loan from Arsenal in the winter, Kolasinac has always been in the starting line-up except for a break from injury.

Keeper Frederik Rönnow was also left out for the first time under Grammozis on Sunday, because Ralf Fährmann returned to the starting line-up six weeks after his broken rib.

But Can Bozdogan, who is also new to the starting XI, set the first accent.

FCA goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz could not hold his cross from the left and Serdar provided the district club's 2600th Bundesliga club from close range after just a few minutes.

At the same time, the fastest Schalke opening goal in the league since 2017.

The opponent's lightning start had an effect on the guests from Augsburg.

Coach Heiko Herrlich's team needed a long start-up time to get into the game.

Except for a shot by Marco Richter (24th) and a long-range shot by Vargas (31st), there wasn't much out of it.

For Schalke Serdar (36th) missed the possible second goal, he pushed the ball past the goal from around 15 meters.

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After the break, Augsburg increased the pressure, had more access to the game and pushed for an equalizer.

But they found it difficult to find a gap against the stable Schalke back team.

Vargas (56th) failed to Fährmann, Richter shot the ball over the crossbar only one minute and ten minutes later with an overhead kick past the post.

However, Schalke, who still had a good chance after a free kick through Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (80th), saved the second win of the season over time.

© dpa-infocom, dpa: 210411-99-163499 / 3

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