Schalke and Hannover enjoy emphatic victories

FC Schalke 04 tightened their hold on fourth spot and a UEFA Champions League berth with a comprehensive 4-1 victory against 1. FC Kaiserslautern, while Hannover 96 overcame 1. FC Köln by the same scoreline.

Schalke's afternoon got off to a bad start when Rodnei struck for Kaiserslautern with just three minutes gone, but the hosts were soon heading for a club record 16th game without a win when Lewis Holtby and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar hit back before the break. Raúl González and Jefferson Farfán then secured the result to leave the Royal Blues ten points clear of fifth-placed Bayer 04 Leverkusen, while their opponents lie six points adrift of safety at the bottom.

Hannover made light work of Köln to move seventh, meanwhile. Lars Stindl put them ahead before Kevin Pezzoni levelled on 43 minutes, but Jan Schlaudraff restored the lead from the spot and Mame Diouf struck twice.