Goals from Marcel Risse and Yannick Gerhardt in either half helped FC Koln on their way to a 2-0 victory over Schalke 04 this afternoon to make sure of their Bundesliga status for another season.
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The home side had the better of things in the opening half an hour or so, but they were unable to create any real clear-cut openings to take advantage.
Peter Stoger's men did not have to wait too much longer to find the breakthrough, though, with Risse bagging his fifth goal of the season after Ralf Fahrmann parried Kazuki Nagasawa's shot into his path.
Koln had drawn their last three games heading into this one, but it was they who remained on top in search of a crucial second goal, which nearly came when Dusan Svento was picked out with the net at his mercy.
The midfielder slid the ball wide to the disbelief of those around him, yet it did not matter in the grand scheme of things as Gerhardt slotted home a second for his side to spark the celebrations.
Despite the defeat, the Royal Blues remain two points clear of rivals Borussia Dortmund in the final Europa League berth.
Daniel Lewis
