Schalke 04 needed two goals from striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and a late own goal from Stuttgart to win 3-2 yesterday and stay in the hunt for a Europa League spot with their first victory in seven matches.

The Dutchman, who had not scored in 1,199 minutes and since November last year, put them ahead in the ninth minute and came to the rescue again in the 78th after Stuttgart had struck twice.

Stuttgart’s Florian Klein then gifted them the three points in the 89th minute, turning a Kevin-Prince Boateng shot into his own net.

The result keeps Schalke in fifth spot on 45 points, two ahead of sixth-placed Augsburg who drew 0-0 against Cologne.

Stuttgart are last on 27.

Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund shared the spoils after their 1-1 draw to stay on 41 and 40 points respectively in the hunt for a top-six finish that leads to Europe with three games left in the season.

Werder Bremen leapt to seventh on 42, spoiling former long-time coach Thomas Schaaf’s return to the Weser stadium, with a 1-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt courtesy of Davie Selke’s 66th minute goal off his chest.

A possible seventh place could be up for grabs if Wolfsburg win the German Cup.

The Wolves, in second place, squandered a two-goal lead in their 2-2 draw against Hanover, who scored a stunning equaliser through Salif Sane’s bicycle kick, but are all but guaranteed a Champions League group spot.

Wolfsburg are on 62 points, four ahead of Bayer Leverkusen in third place. Fourth-placed Borussia Mgladbach, a point behind, play at Hertha Berlin today.

Bayern lose

In the late kick-off, Leverkusen beat a second-string Bayern Munich 2-0 to get back on course for an automatic Champions League spot with three matches left in the season.

Hakan Calhanoglu whipped in a fierce free-kick in the 52nd minute and Julian Brandt completed a quick break nine minutes from time to lift Leverkusen to 58 points.

It was the second disappointment in a week for injury-plagued Bayern after their German Cup exit to Borussia Dortmund.

Bundesliga
Augsburg vs Cologne - 0-0
B. Leverkusen vs B. Munich - 2-0
Freiburg vs Paderborn - 1-2
Hoffenheim vs B. Dortmund - 1-1
Schalke vs Stuttgart - 3-2
W. Bremen vs E. Frankfurt - 1-0
Wolfsburg vs Hanover - 2-2

  P W D L F A Pts
B. Munich 31 24 4 3 77 15 76
Wolfsburg 31 18 8 5 65 34 62
B. Lev’kusen 31 16 10 5 59 32 58
B. Mgladbach 30 16 9 5 45 22 57
Schalke 31 12 9 10 41 36 45
Augsburg 31 13 4 14 38 40 43
W. Bremen 31 11 9 11 47 59 42
Hoffenheim 31 11 8 12 46 49 41
B. Dortmund 31 11 7 13 41 38 40
Mainz 30 8 13 9 42  41 37
Cologne 31 8 12 11 30 36 36
E. Frankfurt 31 9 9 13 51 60 36
Hertha Berlin 30 9 7 14 34 46 34
Paderborn 31 7 10 14 29 59 31
Freiburg 31 6 12 13 32 43 30
Hanover 31 7 9 15 35 53 30
Hamburg 30 7 7 16 19 46 28
Stuttgart 31 6 9 16 36 58 27

Playing today
Mainz vs Hamburg - 15.30
H. Berlin vs B. Mgladbach - 17.30

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