Schalke seals promotion back to the Bundesliga after 3 seasons away
· Yahoo Sports
GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Edin Džeko returned in time for the celebrations as seven-time German champion Schalke sealed its return to the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win over Fortuna Düsseldorf on Saturday.
Kenan Karaman’s strike in the 13th minute was enough for Schalke to move an unassailable 10 points clear of third-place Hannover in Germany’s second division. Hannover has three games remaining and Schalke has two. The top two teams secure automatic promotion to the top division.
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Schalke’s promotion push this season was helped by the surprise signing of Džeko in January. The now 40-year-old Bosnia forward chipped in six goals in nine league appearances for Schalke before suffering a shoulder injury in Bosnia’s World Cup playoff win over Italy on March 31.
Others stepped up in Džeko’s absence, especially Mali forward Moussa Sylla, who scored three of his seven goals this season in Schalke’s last six games.
Džeko made his comeback after coming on as a substitute in the 69th minute on Saturday. He didn’t score, but none of the Schalke fans among 61,587 supporters in the sold-out stadium were complaining.
It’s Schalke’s second promotion from the second division in five years after its initial relegation from the Bundesliga in 2021. Schalke bounced back as second-division champion the following season but it was relegated again in 2023 after just one season in the top division.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer