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Bundesliga round-up: Schalke end winless run, while Wolfsburg slip up

GELSENKIRCHEN, GERMANY - MAY 02: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar of Schalke (2nd R) celebrates the first goal with
Image: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar opened the scoring for Schalke

Schalke were forced to rely on a Stuttgart own goal to end their six-match winless run in the Bundesliga, after emerging 3-2 victors at the Veltins Arena.

Stuttgart, bottom of the table, had matched Schalke superbly and even had the lead at one point. Klaas Jan Huntelaar opened the scoring for Schalke before Martin Harnik equalised and Filip Kostic put Stuttgart ahead after the break.

Huntelaar's second on 78 minutes kept Schalke in the game, though Stuttgart were cruelly denied a vital point when Florian Klein diverted Kevin-Prince Boateng's volley into his own net.

It gave Schalke their first win since beating Real Madrid in the Champions League last-16 second leg, amid a threat to their Europa League spot with three games left in the season.

Second-placed Wolfsburg threw away a two-goal lead in the lower Saxony derby against Hannover, with substitute Jimmy Briand and Salif Sane engineering the second-half comeback at the Volkswagen Arena.

Wolfsburg's Portuguese striker Vieirinha (L) and Hanover's midfielder Edgar Prib vie for the ball during the
Image: Wolfsburg let a two goal lead slip against Hannover

Bas Dost had earlier continued his good form for Wolfsburg with the opener on 24 minutes while Ivan Perisic had doubled the lead on the stroke of half-time, but Hannover fought back.

However, the draw still sees Hannover drop into the bottom three for the first time this season, and they are just two points above the automatic relegation spots.

Dortmund may well have still been taking in their DFB-Pokal semi-final win over Bayern Munich as Jurgen Klopp's side had to battle back for a 1-1 draw against Hoffenheim.

Kevin Volland had put Hoffenheim on course for a win with a 33rd-minute goal, but Mats Hummels equalised two minutes later and despite chances for both sides in the second half, the points had to be shared.

Like Dortmund and Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen also kept themselves in the hunt for a Europa League spot with a 1-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Weserstadion, with Davie Selke getting on the scoresheet.

Image: Werder Bremen coach Viktor Skrpnik

It proved a less-than-happy homecoming for Frankfurt boss Thomas Schaaf, who was returning to the club where he made his name as a player and then spent 14 years as coach.

Elsewhere, Augsburg only just managed to keep hold of their place inside the top six, but a goalless draw at home to Cologne still leaves them with work to do if they are to play in Europe next season.

Paderborn lifted themselves above relegation rivals Freiburg with a 2-1 away win at the Dreisamstadion, as Lukas Rupp produced the second-half heroics with two goals in 10 minutes for the visitors to overhaul Nils Petersen's opener.

Leverkusen's midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu (R) celebrates scoring with his team-mates during the German first
Image: Leverkusen moved up to third after defeating Bayern Munich

In the late kick-off Bayer Leverkusen moved up to third thanks to a 2-0 win over champions Bayern Munich.

A Hakan Calhanoglu free-kick and Julian Brandt strike earned Leverkusen the points against a weakened Bayern side, who were clearly already focusing on Wednesday's Champions League tie with Barcelona.

The win takes the Werkself ahead of Borussia Monchengladbach - their opponents next weekend.

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