Schalke 04 came from behind to seal a 4-1 win at bottom-side Kaiserslautern on Sunday with star strikers Raul and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar both on the scoresheet to keep their team fourth in the German league.
Kaiserslautern, who are three points adrift at the foot of the table, took a shock early lead when Brazilian defender Rodnei headed home with just three minutes gone.
Midfielder Lewis Holtby pulled Schalke level when he rifled home his shot after a final pass from Huntelaar on 39 minutes.
The Dutchman followed up with a goal six minutes later on the stroke of half-time to put his team 2-1 ahead and gave him his 20th league goal of the season.
Only Bayern Munich's Mario Gomez, who has netted 22 times in 25 games, has scored more Bundesliga goals this season.
A superb curling shot from ex-Spain striker Raul on 51 minutes extended Schalke's lead before Peru forward Jefferson Farfan grabbed the fourth with nine minutes left.
Victory keeps Schalke, who face Bilbao in the quarter-finals of the Europa League at the end of the month, in the title race on 50 points with third place Moenchengladbach on 51, Bayern second on 54 and Dortmund top with 59.
It was Kaiserslautern's 17th consecutive game without a win.
On Saturday, Dutch winger Arjen Robben hit a hat-trick as Bayern hammered Hertha Berlin 6-0 while Dortmund beat Bremen to stay five points clear.
Having hammered Hoffenheim 7-1 the previous Saturday in the Bundesliga, then demolished Basel 7-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday to reach the quarter-finals, Bayern have now scored 20 goals in their last three games.
Robben converted two of the three penalties Berlin conceded while Germany striker Gomez, plus midfielders Thomas Mueller and Toni Kroos also scored.
Berlin, who have lost nine of their last 10 games, drop to 17th, second from bottom, after Freiburg's 3-1 win at Hamburg.
Dortmund's Japan winger Shinji Kagawa scored an early goal to seal his team's 1-0 win over Bremen, setting a new club record of 20 matches without defeat.
Borussia Moenchengladbach picked up their first win in four games after a late winner from Igor de Camargo sealed their 2-1 victory at Bayer Leverkusen.
Marco Reus, who will join defending champions Dortmund next season, scored one and created the second.
The attacking midfielder showed great finishing to put his side ahead on seven minutes, before the hosts hit back when ex-Germany striker Stefan Kiessling equalised with 15 minutes left.
But Reus's mazy run on 88 minutes put de Camarago clear to round Leverkusen goalkeeper Bernd Leno and score the winner.
Lucien Favre's Gladbach host Bayern on Wednesday in the semi-finals of the German Cup with Borussia chasing their third win over Munich this season after home and away victories in the league.
Source: AFP
