Schalke's biggest problem on Sunday in Gelsenkirchen was picking a side to attack on. Neither Christian Träsch on the right nor Ricardo Rodriguez on the left were equal to the task of fending off the the Royal Blues, allowing Schalke to launch wave after wave of promising attacks.

It only took 10 minutes for Schalke to get on the board. A corner found a criminally unmarked Raul, who made no mistake from point-blank range. It was the Spanish superstar's 400th professional goal.

Five minutes later Christian Fuchs crossed in low for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to slot home. Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath - who headed Schalke for most of last season - was fuming.

"After such a rotten display, we certainly don't need to revise our season goal upward," Magath remarked after the match.

Huntelaar should have put the game beyond reach in the first half. But he failed to convert a penalty and could not overcome Wolves keeper Diego Benaglio in a one-on-one situation.

Nonetheless, Schalke only needed four minutes after the restart to salt away the match. Joel Matip back-heeled in the Royal Blues' third after a corner kick.

Then in minute 72, Huntelaar made amends by heading in a Fuchs cross. That gave him 18 goals for the season and tied him with Bayern's Mario Gomez atop the scorers list.

Hanover corner Stuttgart

In Sunday’s late match, Hanover kept alive their hopes of playing in Europe for a second straight year by beating mid-table rivals Stuttgart 4-2.

After a fairly even first twenty-five minutes, left back Christian Pander booted a corner into the box, and Karim Haggui headed home to put hosts Hanover ahead.

And crosses would prove Stuttgart’s undoing. Mame Diouf doubled Hanover’s lead in minute 35 with Pander again supplying the assist. And one minute after the break, Pander himself scored after a corner by Sergio Pinto.

Lars Stindl then made it 4-nil in minute 73 with a thumping left-footed shot. After that, Hanover took their foot off the gas, and late goals by Martin Harnik and Shinji Okazaki made the scoreline look a bit more respectable.

The win meant seventh-place Hanover are level on points with sixth-placed Leverkusen in the battle for the Europa League spots.

Author: Jefferson Chase
Editor: Sean Sinico