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German Bundesliga

Table-topping Schalke handed two-day holiday

March 13, 2010

Schalke's reward for moving to the top of the Bundesliga on Friday night was a special two-day holiday, although they will be getting back down to the grind after the weekend.

Kevin Kuranyi celebrates scoring with Marcelo Jose Bordon
GettyImagesKevin Kuranyi (R) celebrates his goal

• Schalke 2-1 Stuttgart

The Royal Blues moved above Bayern Munich at the summit thanks to a 2-1 win over Stuttgart, but the only talk of the title was heard coming from the euphoric fans, who sense their first ever Bundesliga.

Manager Felix Magath was taking less of an interest in what may be only a 24-hour spell at the top of the table as he turned his attention to his side's next four crucial fixture.

"It doesn't matter if we are first, second or third,'' he said. "These points are important before we now play two tough away games in Hamburg and Leverkusen and then Bayern Munich come to us.''

Sandwiched between the two away games, Bayern visit the Arena AufSchalke in a DFB-Pokal semi-final.

However, with the Gelsenkirchen-based club in such good home form, a domestic double is beginning to look like a distinct possibility.

"This was yet another dramatic home game with yet another happy ending for Schalke because Stuttgart were extremely strong,'' added Magath.

Former Stuttgart striker Kevin Kuranyi was the match-winner with his 14th goal of the season.

But he is not getting carried away with his own form or the chances of winning the league this season.

"It is great that the fans are happy and are right behind us, but we as a team cannot lose track of the amount of very hard work we have ahead of us,'' he told the club's official website, www.schalke04.de.

"We should not be setting ourselves any definite aims at the moment but rather think from game to game and carry on collecting points.''