Schalke end Bremen's unbeaten run to go second

Striker Kevin Kuranyi scored and set up another as Schalke 04 ended Werder Bremen's 23-match unbeaten run with a 2-0 win yesterday to move into second place in the Bundesliga.

The result lifted Schalke to 31 points, one off pacesetters Bayer Leverkusen, with Bremen, who had not lost since the first matchday back in August in all competitions, dropping to fourth on 28.

Bayern Munich, who earlier yesterday crushed VfL Bochum 5-1, are third on 30 points after 16 matches.

Bremen and Schalke played a cautious first half with the hosts more aggressive and Schalke lurking for a counter-attack.

Their patience paid off two minutes after the restart when Kuranyi broke the offside trap after a throughball from Lewis Holtby, sidestepped keeper Tim Wiese and slotted home for his eighth goal of the season.

The striker, desperate to win back a spot in the Germany squad ahead of next year's World Cup, turned provider in the 72nd minute when he set up substitute Jan Moravek, who had come on seconds earlier, to fire home Schalke's second goal, helped by a deflection.

Resurgent Bayern Munich demolished hosts VfL Bochum to record their third straight Bundesliga win.

Bayern, fielding the same team that crushed Juventus 4-1 in midweek to reach the Champions League knock-out stage, broke Bochum's double defensive line in the 23rd minute when Ivica Olic floated a low cross for Gomez to sneak between two defenders and tap in.

The Bavarians, who have now won five in a row in all competitions, doubled their lead 11 minutes later when Bochum defender Mergim Mavraj deflected a seemingly harmless Danijel Pranjic cross into his own net.

Olic scored either side of half-time before the unmarked Pranjic grabbed another with a shot inside the box in the 56th minute.

Bochum, in complete disarray since the first half, managed to score when Fuchs curled his free-kick over keeper Hans-Joerg Butt in the 76th minute.

"It is difficult to stay in focus after such a win as our (Champions League) victory over Juventus," said Bayern coach Louis van Gaal. "But my players did it. It is a bit of a shame not to have kept a clean sheet but after a 4-1 in Turin and a 5-1 in Bochum a coach can only be satisfied."

Hamburg thumped hosts Nuremberg 4-0 to stay close to the top, in fifth place on 28 points.

Borussia Moenchengladbach were gifted three own goals from Hanover 96 players in a 5-3 win.