Rakitic double puts Schalke on top of Bundesliga

Berlin: Croatia midfielder Ivan Rakitic netted twice to put Schalke 04 top of the Bundesliga in a 3-1 win over Moenchengladbach on Saturday, but Bayern Munich can retake the lead if they beat Hanover later.

Champions League semi-finalists Bayern host Hanover at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday night, but Schalke kept up the pressure as Rakitic opened the scoring on eight minutes and then later converted a penalty. ‘Gladbach’s Argentina striker Raul Bobadilla had equalised on 16 minutes, but Peru striker Jefferson Farfan made it 2-1 just before half-time before Rakitic hit a second-half penalty to put his side a point clear. “We played very well in the first-half, but ‘Gladbach put us under pressure with some good counter-attacking,” said Schalke coach Felix Magath, whose side are bidding for their first Bundesliga title. “We played at a high tempo and deserved the win.” Ten-man Bayer Leverkusen are virtually out of the title race after they were beaten 2-1 at Stuttgart with striker Stefan Kiessling netting for Bayer before Germany team-mate Cacau scored twice for the hosts. Leverkusen were reduced to ten men after Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta was dismissed after just 19 minutes for a second dangerous foul and having equalised Cacau smashed home the long-range winner on 85 minutes. The result dumped Leverkusen down to fourth, seven points behind Schalke with just three games left this season. Werder Bremen went third as midfielder Torsten Frings gave Germany coach Joachim Loew a timely reminder of his talents with two goals in his side’s 4-2 victory at Wolfsburg. Frings was dropped from the Germany squad in October 2008, but could yet earn himself a reprieve with the national squad set to be named on May 6. The league’s top-scorer Edin Dzeko scored his 20th goal of the season on 18 minutes before Frings then netted a 38th-minute penalty after Bremen’s Marko Marin was fouled in the area, but Grafite put Wolfsburg 2-1 up at the break. A header from Claudio Pizarro on 49 minutes put Bremen level before Frings netted his second and then Portuguese striker Hugo Almeida scored on 75 minutes and immediately earned a yellow card for celebrating by ripping his shirt off. The victory leaves Bremen in pole-position for a Champions League spot, but face struggling Cologne, Schalke and Hamburg in their three remaining games. Hamburg were stunned 1-0 at home to mid-table Mainz while Freiburg gave themselves a fighting chance of staying in the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win over fellow relegation candidates Nuremberg. Nuremberg’s Dominic Maroh had the misfortune of scoring for both sides after netting an own goal after just four minutes to put Freiburg ahead before Senegal striker Papiss Demba Cisse made it 2-0 on 60 minutes. Maroh then went some way to redemption with a header on 79 minutes, but it was too little, too late. The defeat leaves Freiburg 16th in the league - the position which faces a play-off to stay in the league - alongside Bochum and Nuremberg who all have 28 points. Bottom side Hertha Berlin will take a step closer to relegation unless they beat Frankfurt on Sunday. Cologne are now sure to stay in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 win over Bochum on Friday. Bureau Report