Schalke scores late to beat Union Berlin to move joint-top

Schalke's Suat Serdar, left, celebrates his goal with Schalke's Ahmed Kutucu and Schalke's Amine Harit during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and Union Berlin in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Friday, Nov. 29, 2019. (Martin Meissner/AP)

GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany — Suat Serdar scored late for Schalke to beat Union Berlin 2-1 and move joint-top in the Bundesliga on Friday.

Serdar’s 87th-minute strike lifted Schalke level on points with league leader Borussia Mönchengladbach ahead of the rest of the 12th round, while ending Union’s four-game winning run.

Benito Raman fired Schalke ahead in the 23rd, letting fly in under the crossbar, but Marcus Ingvartsen equalized in the 36th with a penalty the visitors were fortunate to receive.

TV replays showed Robert Andrich fell under minimal contact from Matija Nastasic, but referee Daniel Schlager pointed straight to the spot and there was no intervention from the video referee.

Schalke had several chances to score in the second half but had to wait for a mistake from Neven Subotic, who lost the ball while coming out of defence.

Kutucu Ahmed raced forward and set up Amine Harit, who was faced by two Union defenders and opted for Serdar, who was completely free to score on his left.

Gladbach, which still leads on goal difference from Schalke, faces Freiburg at home on Sunday.

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