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And there’s a party in Gelsenkirchen!
Schalke 04 are back among the elite of German football.
They needed to beat Fortuna Düsseldorf this Saturday (2) to secure at least the second automatic promotion spot as early as this 32nd round of the 2. Bundesliga.
And they came out on top, winning 1-0 in front of their fans at the Veltins Arena.
Now it’s all about the title
League leaders Schalke moved on to 67 points thanks to a goal from captain Karaman just 14 minutes in.
They can no longer be caught by current third-placed Hannover, who have 57 and still have to play this round.
It’s worth remembering that only the top two are promoted automatically. The third-placed side will face the team that finishes 16th in the Bundesliga in a playoff for a place in the top flight.
Current second-placed Paderborn have 58 points, also with 31 matches played.
And they have a real final ahead this Sunday (3), as they visit Elversberg, who are fourth in the table with 56 points.
Dzeko made the difference
After two seasons with a good scoring rate at Fenerbahçe (46 goals in total), Dzeko returned to Italian football to play for Fiorentina.
But he did not shine as expected after scoring two goals in 18 matches. Then he became a major Schalke signing in the winter transfer window.
His impact was immediate. And very positive. Six goals and three assists in nine games, directly contributing to strong results.
The injury he suffered with Bosnia in the World Cup playoff kept him out for four matches. He returned as an option this Saturday, coming on in the 69th minute.
📸 Christof Koepsel – 2026 Getty Images
Karius, formerly of Liverpool, is the other big-name veteran in the squad.
Back for good?
Seven-time German champions, winners of five German Cups and one UEFA Cup, Schalke were relegated at the end of the 2020/21 season — their first drop since 1988.
They came straight back by winning the second division in 2021/22. But they went down again in 2022/23.
And they suffered.
They were threatened with relegation to the third division, but stayed in the 2. Bundesliga (10th in 23/24 and 14th in 24/25).
The mission now is to come back again and stay in the top flight.
This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.
