Eintracht Frankfurt’s Alexander Meier scores against Borussia Dortmund during their Bundesliga clash yesterday. (Reuters)

DPA/Berlin


An injury-time strike from Caiuby earned Augsburg a 2-1 home win over Schalke yesterday and prevented the guests from climbing into the top four in the Bundesliga.
With the match seemingly heading for a draw, Caiuby volleyed home a 92nd-minute winner at the back post to lift Augsburg out of the bottom three and up to 13th. Schalke remain eighth, two points behind the Champions League play-off place.
Hong Jeong Ho had opened the scoring for Augsburg with a fortuitous strike in the 34th minute but Sead Kolasinac capped a lovely team move to equalize with 20 minutes remaining.
Both Augsburg and Schalke were in Europa League action midweek and made significant changes to their personnel. The guests brought five new players into their starting eleven, including Leroy Sane, while Augsburg made seven alternations.
While Schalke cruised 4-0 over Asteras Tripolis, Augsburg progressed to the knock-out phase courtesy of a last-gasp winner at Partizan Belgrade, a feat they would now repeat.
“It’s an incredible week, unbelievable,” Augsburg sport director Stefan Reuter said. “This was a determined performance by the team. It’s so tight at the bottom (of the table) so every point is important.”
Neither goalkeeper was troubled in the first half hour of the match as the game was played out in the middle of the park.
Augsburg took the lead out of the blue when Schalke failed to clear a set piece and Kohr’s shot from 18 yards ricocheted off Hong to find the corner of the net with Faehrmann wrong-footed.
Schalke immediately tried to hit back but Sane struck weakly on a rare sight of goal and Marwin Hitz punched away a powerful shot from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
Augsburg looked lively after the restart but it was Schalke who came close to equalizing in the 54th when a ferocious strike from Leon Goretzka struck the bar and bounced to safety.
And Schalke finally levelled with 20 minutes remaining when Kolasinac sent Choupo-Moting clear on the left and surged into the box to collect a return pass and finish calmly from close range.
The game seemed to be heading for a draw until deep into injury time when a cross from the right was headed on and Caiuby was perfectly placed to smash an unstoppable volley high past Faehrmann to secure the points.
“It was not hard or determined enough,” Schalke captain Benedikt Hoewedes said. “We are going home disappointed.”
In the day’s later match, second-placed Borussia Dortmund were given an early scare by Eintracht Frankfurt before rallying to win 3-1.