Schalke up and running

Schalke picked up their first three-point haul of the season with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Augsburg.

Schalke picked up their first three-point haul of the season with a comfortable 3-1 victory over Augsburg at the Arena AufSchalke. Kyriakos Papadopoulos headed the Royal Blues in front in the first half and Jermaine Jones gave them a flying start to the second when he made it 2-0. The USA international hit the woodwork before Klaas Jan Huntelaar sealed the victory with Torsten Oehrl grabbing nothing more than a consolation for Augsburg in the 79th minute. Augsburg posed the greater threat early on with Aristide Bance getting through, but Papadopoulos got in a saving tackle. The Bavarians then sat back, waiting to punish Schalke on the break, but they were lucky not to fall behind in the 23rd minute when Jefferson Farfan sent a header wide. Papadopoulos put the home team in front in the 33rd minute when he met Farfan's corner with a powerful header which left Simon Jentzsch no chance in the Augsburg goal. The game was over before Augsburg could even gather their breath at the start of the second half as Jones dribbled his way through before scoring Schalke's second, with the help of the far post. Augsburg regrouped and tried to respond, but Knowledge Musona wasted two great chances to give them a lifeline before Jones hit the outside of the post at the other end. Huntelaar then grabbed his second goal of the season with a header which Jentzsch was only able to reach once it had already crossed the line. Augsburg, who lost their opening game of the season 2-0 at home to Fortuna Dusseldorf last weekend, at least opened their goalscoring account for the season with a consolation strike late on with Oehrl pouncing to net the loose ball after Lars Unnerstall saved from Daniel Baier.