Freiburg 2, Schalke 1: Gotō's late header wins it for ten men
Freiburg went down to ten men in the 64th minute and still won, moving to the top of the Bundesliga.
SC Freiburg beat Schalke 04 2-1 on Sunday at the Europa-Park Stadion with a header from a substitute five minutes from time, and did so for the final 25 minutes or so with ten men.
The goals
Freiburg went ahead in the 10th minute, according to the Bundesliga's live ticker. Matthias Ginter's header from a corner was saved, and Maximilian Eggestein pounced on the rebound. Football News Germany says Freiburg controlled the early play with around 75 per cent of possession, only to concede from a set piece: Schalke levelled in the 30th minute through Adrian Gantenbein, whose shot took a slight deflection after a Robin Gosens corner was not cleanly dealt with. Football News Germany adds that it was Gantenbein's Bundesliga debut. The match was level at 1-1 at the break.
The red card
The match turned in the second half. Yuito Suzuki was booked for dissent in the 49th minute, and Ginter was cautioned for protesting a foul. In the 64th minute Suzuki picked up a second yellow card and was sent off; Football News Germany describes it as a stamp on Sofiane El-Faouzi. That left Freiburg a man down for the last 25 minutes or so.
Schalke pushed forward after the dismissal, and Freiburg looked to counter. Football News Germany reports that Scherhant had a chance to restore the lead around the 80th minute but slipped in the box. The decisive goal came in the 85th minute, when substitute Keisuke Gotō headed in a cross from Vincenzo Grifo. Schalke's Hee-chan Hwang was cautioned late on, and the visitors did not find an equaliser. Football News Germany named Grifo, Freiburg's record goalscorer, its player of the match.
What it means
The Bundesliga table after matchday 5 shows Freiburg first with 13 points, level on points with Borussia Dortmund in second, with Bayern Munich on 11 in third. Football News Germany says Freiburg remain unbeaten through five matchdays. Schalke are 13th with 5 points.
Five matches in, the standings are only a snapshot, but Freiburg's win came despite playing the final stretch a man short, while Schalke could not turn a numerical advantage into a goal.