Dzeko Rescues Schalke in DFB-Pokal
- Schalke 04 narrowly avoided becoming the first Bundesliga club eliminated in the DFB-Pokal first round.
- Edin Dzeko was instrumental in turning the match around against fourth-tier Hallescher FC.
- Schalke progressed 5-2 after extra time to reach the second round of the competition.
Schalke 04 came perilously close to an embarrassment that would have made history, before Edin Dzeko intervened to steer the promoted Bundesliga club through a fraught first-round DFB-Pokal tie against fourth-tier Hallescher FC, eventually winning 5-2 after extra time.
Schalke on the brink
The traditional Ruhr club had faced the prospect of becoming the first Bundesliga side to fall at the opening hurdle of the DFB-Pokal. Against a fourth-tier opponent, that would have constituted a humiliation of considerable magnitude for a club returning to the top flight. The match turned on Dzeko's contribution, which proved decisive in rescuing a side that had struggled to impose themselves on the tie within normal time.
Dzeko turns the match
It was only through extra time that Schalke's superior squad depth told, the fixture ultimately concluding with a 5-2 scoreline in the Ruhr club's favour. The result ensures they advance to the second round, though the manner of the victory will offer their supporters little comfort. This DFB-Pokal first round has already thrown up its share of surprises, as fourth-tier Jeddeloh's stunning 5-2 defeat of Heidenheim illustrated elsewhere in the competition. Schalke, having themselves been taken to extra time by lower-league opposition, will be aware that the Pokal's early rounds remain unforgiving territory regardless of divisional standing.
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