Augsburg vs Schalke 04

Augsburg gave Schalke's long-awaited Bundesliga return a rude welcome, cruising to a 3-0 win on opening weekend. The standout moment came when Anton Kade curled in an unstoppable effort that kissed the inside of the post, a goal good enough to catch the eye of a watching Jürgen Klopp. Michael Gregoritsch broke the deadlock in the 18th minute, turning home a Kade cross from close range against his former club. Schalke's night unraveled further when Ron Schallenberg was shown a straight red card in the 62nd minute for a reckless challenge, leaving the visitors a man light. Augsburg made the extra space count as Kade doubled the lead in the 79th minute, and Rodrigo Ribeiro added a third deep into stoppage time. For Augsburg, it was an ideal start built on clinical finishing and control after the red card. For Schalke, the promotion euphoria faded fast, with Miro Muslic's side undone by discipline lapses and a lack of cutting edge despite plenty of possession.