Schalke defeated Fortuna and secured promotion to the Bundesliga, Džeko returned after injury

(Patria) - Schalke hosted Fortuna Düsseldorf in the 32nd round of the 2. Bundesliga, and the match in Gelsenkirchen ended with a score of 1:0, with the home team securing promotion to the top tier of German football after three years.

Before tonight's match, the "Miners" had a six-point lead over their closest competitor Paderborn, and a victory was needed for their return to the elite league.

UNSER AUFSTIEGSTRAINER BLEIBT! #MIRON2028 pic.twitter.com/Cm4KmkdzXg

— FC Schalke 04 (@s04) May 2, 2026

Schalke, led by Bosnian-Herzegovinian expert Miron Muslić, had won four matches in a row before tonight's encounter, while the visitors had ended a negative streak in the previous round with a victory against Dynamo Dresden.

Before the match itself, the streets of the German city were filled with home fans, and a great atmosphere prevailed in the stadium as well.

The nets remained empty until the 15th minute, when Schalke captain Karaman skillfully found himself in a scoring position and hit the visitors' net with a powerful shot, causing an eruption of joy in the stadium. The home team could have scored another goal midway through the half, but Aouchicha's shot hit the post from a free kick.

In the second half, the visitors played more offensively, but Karius stood out with several excellent saves. In the 70th minute of the match, Edin Džeko entered the field, for the first time since the injury he sustained in the final match of the World Cup play-off, when the Dragons defeated Italy and secured a place at the World Cup. "The Diamond" was greeted with huge ovations from the stands.