SOCCER: Schalke suffer nightmare Bundesliga return with 3-0 loss to Augsburg

Yuito Suzuki scored a hat-trick as Freiburg thumped Werder Bremen 4-1, while Schalke’s nightmare return to the Bundesliga ended in a 3-0 away defeat to Augsburg as they finished Sunday's game with 10 men.

Schalke spent the last three seasons in the second tier and would have hoped for a positive result on their return, but were well beaten in a lively contest in which both sides created plenty of chances.

Augsburg took the lead in the 18th minute as Michael Gregoritsch scored at the back post, the goal coming against the run of play.

The visitors’ task got harder when Ron Schallenberg received a straight red card in the 62nd minute for a dangerous tackle on Gregoritsch.

The home side doubled their advantage as Anton Kade provided a neat finish off the post on 79 minutes, before Rodrigo Ribeiro scored the third in added time.

Suzuki was in superb form as Freiburg completed a rout of Werder Bremen to get their season off to the perfect start.

He had never scored more than once in a Bundesliga game before but celebrated a hat-trick with some neat finishes.

His first was a header from a corner after being left unmarked, before he buried Derry Scherhant's cross from the right and then fired into the net from close range.

The score was 4-0 at that stage, but Werder substitute Dariusz Stalmach headed in a corner to grab a consolation goal in the 76th minute.

"I feel incredible and I am very happy that I was able to help the team," Suzuki told DAZN.

Bremen signed former Germany international striker Niclas Fuellkrug on loan in this window, but he was largely ineffective, though he believes the team will get better.

"It was clear that we were bringing a team that has a certain quality, but does not yet have the connection to each other," he said.

"That's why I'm not so negative yet. You have to work on certain things and compensate for the serious failures.

"Then better results will come very quickly, I'm sure. I think today was a day to learn."

-Reporting by Nick SaidEditing by Toby Davis/Reuters