Halle took a surprise lead shortly before halftime when Vin Kastull capitalized on a failed clearance and fired into the far corner. Schalke leveled in the 62nd minute. Halle defender Burim Halili slipped while attempting to deal with Adil Aouchiche’s delivery, allowing Dejan Ljubicic to finish into the left corner, reports Xinhua.
Edin Dzeko scored twice and played a decisive role in two further goals as Schalke 04 survived a major scare to beat fourth-tier Hallescher FC 5-2 after extra time in the first round of the German Cup.
Stierlin’s Last-Minute Goal Forces Extra Time
Halle’s determination paid off when Niclas Stierlin scored from a corner in stoppage time, leveling the match and pushing it into extra time. Goalkeeper Loris Karius made a crucial late save to keep Halle in the game just before Stierlin’s equalizer.
Schalke will kick off its Bundesliga campaign away to Augsburg on Sunday. “We are happy that we are through. “We conceded goals at unfortunate moments, but we are through and that is the main thing. Elsewhere in the first round, Bundesliga sides Hamburg and Cologne advanced with victories over third-tier opponents.
We were dominant for 90 minutes but lacked power in the final third and were vulnerable from set pieces,” Gosens said. Hamburg beat SC Verl 3-0, while Cologne came from behind to edge Wurzburger Kickers 2-1.
