GELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (AP) — Marius Bülter scored twice to help boost Schalke's hopes of staying in the Bundesliga with a 5-2 win over relegation candidate Hertha Berlin in their bottom-of-the-table showdown on Friday.
Tim Skarke, Simon Terodde and Marcin Kaminski also scored for the Gelsenkirchen-based team, which climbed up to 16th place to leave Hertha in last. Schalke moved into the relegation playoff spot, two points above Hertha, with six games remaining after the rest of the 27th round.
Skarke gave Schalke the lead in the third minute with a shot that went in off the underside of the crossbar, then set up Bülter for the second goal 10 minutes later.
Hertha remained competitive, however, and Stevan Jovetic drew a good save from Ralf Fährmann shortly afterward. The Montenegro forward finally scored before the break.
Kenan Karaman replaced Skarke at the break and had an immediate impact, setting up Terodde for an easy finish in the 48th.
Bülter sealed the win on a counterattack in the 78th.
Hertha’s Marco Richter scored a late consolation, then prevented Schalke’s fifth with a goal-line clearance after receiving treatment for an eye injury.
Kaminski got the fifth with a free kick in injury time.
It ended Schalke's four-game winless run and stretched Hertha's run without a victory to six games.
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