Schalke 04, the current leaders of the 2. Bundesliga, opened the 25th round of the season with a narrow 1‑0 win over Arminia Bielefeld, leaving them two points clear of SV Elversberg. At the same time, Elversberg finished 1‑0 ahead of FC Magdeburg in the parallel fixture, putting the Magdeburg‑based side in second place in the table.
Edin Džeko provided the lone goal for Schalke, finding the net in the 15th minute from a corner kick. The side created several chances for a second goal – including a shot from Kenan Karaman and a header by Timo Becker – but failed to convert. In the closing stages, Bielefeld increased pressure and Joel Grodowski appeared to score, but the goal was ruled off‑side.
The match in Spiesen‑Elversberg also saw numerous unused opportunities for both teams. Lukáš Poreba secured the result for Elversberg with a precise shot into the right corner in the 85th minute. FC Magdeburg’s late attempts to force a comeback were thwarted, as Elversberg defended resolutely and preserved the narrow victory.
