World · Singapore Bureau
Schalke's Bundesliga return spoiled by crushing 3-0 defeat to Augsburg
Schalke endured a miserable start to their Bundesliga comeback on Sunday, suffering a 3-0 away loss to Augsburg while finishing the match with 10 men. The German club's topflight return proved far from the fresh start they had hoped for.
LSN Singapore ·
Schalke's long-awaited return to Germany's top division turned into a nightmare in their opening fixture, as they were thoroughly outplayed by Augsburg in a one-sided encounter. The visiting side's troubles were compounded by a red card late in the match, leaving them to face further punishment with reduced numbers.
The defeat marks an inauspicious beginning for the Ruhr Valley club, which had spent the previous season battling in lower divisions following their earlier descent from the Bundesliga. Despite hopes of mounting an immediate challenge for promotion and establishing themselves once more among the elite, Schalke found themselves out of their depth against their hosts.
Elsewhere on the weekend, Freiburg produced an emphatic display to dispatch Werder Bremen 4-1, with Japanese forward Yuito Suzuki scoring a hat-trick in an commanding performance that showcased the attacking prowess on display across the Bundesliga's opening rounds.