Penalty save, own goal keep Schalke in 2nd spot

Schalke needed a penalty save and a late own goal to scramble a 1-0 win at Wolfsburg and retain second place in the Bundesliga yesterday.

Substitute Breel Embolo helped create the decider when his pass across the box was turned into his own net by Robin Knoche four minutes from time.

Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann saved Paul Verhaegh’s penalty in the 76th minute after Matija Nastasic had fouled Riechedly Bazoer.

Schalke’s fifth consecutive win opened a four-point advantage over third-place Borussia Dortmund, which hosts Hannover today. Wolfsburg is 15th. Runaway leader Bayern Munich is 17 points clear before visiting Leipzig today.

EINTRACHT FOURTH

Eintracht Frankfurt kept in the hunt for a top-four finish, and a Champions League berth, by beating Mainz 3-0.

Kevin-Prince Boateng put Eintracht in front after six minutes. Ante Rebic set up Luka Jovic for the second goal and Rebic finished off a counterattack before halftime.

Eintracht is fourth ahead of fifth-place Bayer Leverkusen's trip to Cologne today.

GLADBACH FIGHTBACK

Matthias Ginter netted in the 89th minute as Borussia Monchengladbach came from behind three times to draw 3-3 at home to seventh-place Hoffenheim.

Benjamin Hubner scored with a header before substitute Josip Drmic replied for Gladbach in the first half.

Andrej Kramaric converted a penalty after Jonas Hofmann had fouled Serge Gnabry to put Hoffenheim back in front. Lars Stindl then leveled before Florian Grillitsch quickly restored the visitors' advantage.

Ninth-place Gladbach was staring at defeat until Ginter turned in Raffael's cross at the far post to snatch a point that kept his team in the hunt for a Europa League berth.

NO RELIEF FOR HAMBURG

Hertha Berlin rallied for a 2-1 victory at relegation-haunted Hamburg.

Douglas Santos put Hamburg ahead before halftime, only for Valentino Lazaro and Salomon Kalou to turn the match around in the 56th and 63rd minutes.

Hamburg, the only club never to be relegated from the Bundesliga, is seven points from safety after 14 matches without a victory.

PW D L F A Pts Bayern 26 21 3 2 65 18 66 Schalke 27 14 7 6 41 30 49 Dortmund 26 12 9 5 53 33 45 Eintracht 27 13 6 8 38 30 45 Leverkusen 26 12 8 6 47 33 44 RB Leipzig 26 11 7 8 38 34 40 Hoffenheim 27 10 9 8 46 41 39 Stuttgart 27 11 4 12 25 30 37 B. M’gladbach 27 10 6 11 36 42 36 Augsburg 27 9 8 10 37 36 35 Hertha Berlin 27 8 11 8 32 32 35 Bremen 27 8 9 10 30 32 33 Hannover 26 8 8 10 33 38 32 Freiburg 27 6 12 9 26 44 30 Wolfsburg 27 4 13 10 28 37 25 Mainz 27 6 7 14 29 46 25 Hamburg 27 4 6 17 19 43 18 Cologne 26 4 5 17 25 49 17

Schalke’s Breel Embolo, right, celebrates an own goal scored by Wolfsburg’s Robin Knoche, rear left, during the match against VfL Wolfsburg Photo: AP