Second division team 1. FC Magdeburg has made a great start to the season. FC Schalke 04 await them in their next match.

It was a crazy battle between 1. FC Magdeburg and Bundesliga relegated Hertha BSC on the last matchday. After a highly intensive 94 minutes, the FCM beat the visitors 6:4 (2:3).

In the process, the team of successful coach Christian Titz set up a novelty: For the first time in the history of German professional football, a team had overturned four deficits and turned them into a victory. With the win at home, Magdeburg not only set this record, but also climbed to third place in the table. In addition, the still unbeaten second-division team has the best offensive record in the league with 13 goals – together with Hamburger SV.

Two former FC Schalke 04 players in particular were on top form against the capital club. We are talking about Luca Schuler and Jason Ceka. While Schuler contributed one goal and two assists to the spectacle, Ceka scored two points. He scored to equalise the score at 3:3 and set up the 4:4 – he was also involved in the creation of the first two goals.

Both top scorer Schuler (4 goals in the season) and pace-setter Ceka were instrumental in the spectacular turnaround. Schuler was correspondingly happy after the final whistle in an interview with Sport im Osten:

It was just great how the fans went along and how we did it on the pitch. Compliments to the team, that was really strong from us. We are very stable and mentally on top of things.

Luca Schuler.

“Of course it’s not nice that we conceded four goals. But with a result like that, I don’t care. I’d rather win 6:4 than 1:0. In the game I always had the feeling that we could come back. It was just great how the fans went along with us and how we did it on the pitch. Compliments to the team, that was really strong from us. We are very stable and mentally fully on top.”

The 1.90-metre man still played for FC Schalke 04 until 2021, but the 24-year-old only made two Bundesliga appearances for the professionals and was mainly used with the U23s in the Regionalliga West. It was a similar story for Ceka. The Essen native also moved from Schalke’s U23 to Magdeburg in 2021 and has since collected 40 scorer points in 75 competitive games for the FCM. Ceka, who played for S04 for a total of nine years, did not make any appearances for the Schalke professional squad.

On the coming matchday (16 September, 20.30 hrs), the duo will return to their old home. The third-placed team in the 2nd Bundesliga will be FC Schalke 04’s guests at the Veltins Arena. By way of comparison: Schalke scored seven goals in the first five games. Schuler and Ceka together have already been directly involved in nine goals…