GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany – Schalke beat their former coach Huub Stevens and his ailing Hoffenheim team 1-0 on Friday to go fourth in the Bundesliga.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting beat a defender to flick home the winner in the 28th minute for Schalke. Hoffenheim’s Eduardo Vargas wasted a big chance for an equaliser in the 68th minute when he aimed high.
Schalke hung on to win and end an at times up-and-down first half of the season on a positive note and with 27 points to sit fourth but they could be overtaken by four teams on the weekend.
“Hoffenheim were confident and it wasn’t easy for us. But only the victory matters and we deserved it,” Choupo-Moting told Sky TV.
Stevens, who coached Schalke from 1996-2002 and 2011-12 and led them to the 1997 UEFA Cup title, remains in deep trouble with the Hoffenheim team he took over two months ago.
They are second bottom and will even hibernate in last place if Stuttgart, who Stevens saved from relegation in the past two seasons, beat Wolfsburg.
“It is tough if you are in the lowlands. We played well in the second half but weren’t awarded. But we are confident that we can fight our way out of trouble,” Hoffenheim’s Sebastian Rudy said.
Other weekend games include Hanover against leaders Bayern Munich and Cologne taking on second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
