Schalke hammer Wolves

Schalke put themselves back in the German league title race yesterday with a 4-0 hammering of Wolfsburg as leaders and defending champions Borussia Dortmund finished the weekend with a three-point lead.

The Royal Blues bounced back from last week’s 3-0 defeat at second-placed Borussia M’gladbach and go fourth in the table behind ‘Gladbach and Bayern Munich, who are third.

Five points now separate the Bundesliga’s top four teams.

Former Spain striker Raul netted after just 10 minutes and then a superb cross from Austria defender Christian Fuchs was converted by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar on 15 minutes.

Huntelaar was denied his second on 36 minutes when Wolfsburg’s Swiss goalkeeper Diego Benaglio saved his penalty, but Schalke grabbed the third just after the break when midfielder Joel Matip fired home.

Huntelaar then joined Bayern’s Mario Gomez as the league’s joint top scorer when he headed home another Fuchs cross on 72 minutes to leave him with 18 goals in 21 league games.

It was a bitter return for Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath, who was sacked by the Royal Blues in February 2011.

Bundesliga
Schalke vs Wolfsburg 4-0; Hanover vs Stuttgart 4-2.

Leading standings: Bor. Dortmund 49; B. M’gladbach 46; B. Munich 45; Schalke 44; W. Bremen 36; B. Leverkusen 34.