Germany defender Heiko Westermann scored two second-half goals to seal Schalke 04’s 2-0 win over Hanover and put the Royal Blues into the German Cup’s third round alongside Werder Bremen on Tuesday.
Bundesliga leaders Schalke had few problems as Westermann struck in the 56 and 78th minutes to put his side through.
“I am pleased with the result,” Royal Blues coach Fred Rutten said.
“We only had one chance in the first-half, but after the break we were superior, although we still have things to work on,” he said.
Werder, seventh in the Bundesliga thanks to their 5-2 hammering of defending champions Bayern Munich on Saturday, had to come from behind to win 2-1 at third division Erzgebirge Aue to reach January’s third round.
Aue’s Fabian Muller put the home side ahead after just seven minutes beforer Bremen’s hard-working Peruvian striker Claudio Pizarro equalized for the visitors on 26 minutes.
And Swedish striker Markus Rosenberg scored his third goal in two games — after his Bundesliga brace in Munich last Saturday — on 54 minutes to give his side the winner.
“That was a difficult game for us, but we expected a hard game along the way,” Bremen coach Thomas Schaaf said.
“Aue played well and demanded a lot from us. We are glad we are in the next round,” he said.
Bundesliga strugglers Energie Cottbus made the third round by converting all three of the penalties they were rewarded to claim a 3-0 win over Borussia Moechengladbach as Italian midfielder Ervin Skela slotted home two second-half spot-kicks.
Second division Mainz had no trouble beating Cologne 3-1, while Eintracht Frankfurt were another Bundesliga side beaten by a side from the league below when they fell 2-1 to Hansa Rostock after extra-time.
Rostock striker Enrico Kern hit the winner in the 101st minute of extra-time to put the second division side through to the next round.
Bayer Leverkusen made the third round with a 2-0 win at second division Augsburg while 1860 Munich beat Duisburg 5-4 on penalties.
‘SOURCE OF PRIDE’: Newspapers rushed out special editions and the government sent their congratulations as Shohei Ohtani became the first player to enter the 50-50 club Japan reacted with incredulity and pride yesterday after Shohei Ohtani became the first player in Major League Baseball to record 50 home runs and 50 stolen bases in a single season. The Los Angeles Dodgers star from Japan made history with a seventh-inning homer in a 20-4 victory over the Marlins in Miami. “We would like to congratulate him from the bottom of our heart,” top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told reporters in Tokyo. “We sincerely hope Mr Ohtani, who has already accomplished feat after feat and carved out a new era, will thrive further,” he added. The landmark achievement dominated Japanese morning news
When Wang Tao ran away from home aged 17 to become a professional wrestler, he knew it would be a hard slog to succeed in China’s passionate but underdeveloped scene. Years later, he has endured family disapproval, countless side gigs and thousands of hours of brutal training to become China’s “Belt and Road Champion” — but the struggle is far from over. Despite a promising potential domestic market, the Chinese pro wrestling community has been battling for recognition and financial stability for decades. “I have done all kinds of jobs [on the side]... Because in the end, it is very
No team in the CPBL can surpass the Taipei Dome attendance record set by the CTBC Brothers, except when the Brothers team up with Taiwanese rock band Mayday. A record-high 40,000 fans turned out at the indoor baseball venue on Saturday for Brothers veteran Chou Szu-chi’s first farewell game, which was followed by a mini post-game concert featuring Mayday. This broke the previous CPBL record of 34,506 set by the Brothers in early last month, when K-pop singer Hyuna performed after the game, and the dome’s overall record of 37,890 set in early March, which featured the Brothers and the
With a quivering finger, England Subbuteo veteran Rudi Peterschinigg conceded the free-kick that sent his country’s World Cup quarter-final into extra-time before smashing his plastic goalkeeper on the floor in frustration. In the genteel southern English town of Tunbridge Wells, 300 elite players have gathered to play the game they love. “I won’t say this is the best weekend I’ve ever had in my life, but it’s certainly in the top two,” said Hughie Best, 58, who flew in from Perth, Australia, to compete and commentate at the event. Tunbridge Wells is the “spiritual home” of Subbuteo, which was invented there in 1946