Augsburg and Schalke draw buthold on to Europa spots, Hertha move closer to safety
Schalke was left frustrated as their Champions League hopes suffered a major dent following a 0-0 draw at Augsburg.
The Royal Blues are now eight points outside of the Champions League spots with seven matches to go and are likely to drop out of the top competition for the first time in four years.
"Our position isn’t an easy one," Roberto Di Matteo said post-match. "We have to try and pick up as many points as possible. "We have to win next week against Freiburg to remain towards the top of the table."
Neither team carved out the breakthrough in a poor 90 minutes of football - but the Bavarians were given some massive news before kick-off: Chairman Klaus Hoffmann confirmed that head coach Markus Weinzierl had extended his contract with the club.
The highly-rated Weinzierl, 40, is now tied to the Bavarians until 2019, whilst Reuter, the man in charge of the club's football operations, commits his future at Augsburg until 2020.
Guiding Augsburg into European competition would certainly become Weinzierl's finest achievement at the provincial club and they are one of six clubs competing for a spot in next season's UEFA Europa League.
Augsburg was without several key players, which disrupted the familiar set of names that have fired the club to incredible heights this season. Halil Altintop, Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker and Abdul Rahman Baba missed out as Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, on loan from Bayern Munich, pushed into a more offensive position.
Schalke, meanwhile, was boosted by the return of number one keeper Ralf Fährmann whose shirt has been held by the rookie 19-year-old Timon Wellenreuther. In attack, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting was recalled to the starting eleven and midfielder Leon Goretzka started for the first time this season having recovered from long-term injury.
Goretzka's physique and energy pressed Augsburg into the first mistake of the encounter inside the first 80 seconds, but the midfielder unsuccessfully went for an audacious lob from 18 yards out. In the ninth minute, Jöel Matip headed over the crossbar from Christian Fuchs' in swinging corner-kick.
But young Goretzka hobbled on 15 minutes having not recovered from an earlier collision in midfield - the 19-year-old was replaced by Dennis Aogo.
Two sides noted for 'efficient' football were unlikely to conjure up something of a master class in attacking football. A 20-minute spell in the first-half passed without any hint of a goal on the way, and Raul Bobadilla's half-volley on 41 minutes was the closest either team came before the break.
At the other end, Di Matteo's men were pedestrian in their use of the ball and posed little danger in breaking down the home side's well-oiled defense. On 53 minutes, Huntelaar threatened by pulling away from his marker and shooting directly at keeper Marwin Hitz who denied the Dutch international from a similar position late on.
Schalke is three games without a win in the Bundesliga and has picked up one victory in their last seven matches.
Leap towards safety for Hertha
Meanwhile, Valentin Stocker's first goal of the season helped fire Hertha Berlin to three points that should secure their status as a Bundesliga side.
Swiss forward Stocker struck on 67 minutes, powering home one of few clear chances to score and move Hertha on to 32 points, which moves them into 11th with a seven-point cushion from relegation trouble. The 2-0 win over Paderborn was wrapped up by Nico Schulz in the last few minutes.
Under the stewardship of Hungarian national team coach, and interim trainer, Pal Dardai, Hertha has been on a quiet resurgence with two wins and two draws in their last four matches pre-match - the best record of all sides in the relegation battle.
While the Berliners have improved defensively of late - three clean sheets in their last four - they're still scoring at the other end with some talented attacking players on their books.
The tale couldn't be different for second-bottom Paderborn who has not scored in over 500 minutes of Bundesliga football.
Paderborn was on the back-foot for most of the first period with Pekarik's header landing the wrong side of the post on 33 minutes. Six minutes later, Stocker swiveled cleverly on the edge of the box but shot over from 15 yards.
Despite assisting nine times this season, Stocker, a marquee signing from FC Basel, broke his account for the season at arguably the best time possible to secure all three points.
Plattenhardt's free-kick from 25 yards was tipped on to the crossbar by Lukas Kruse and at the second attempt, Stocker rifled home from inside the six-yard box.
Marco Vrancic's missed opportunity, three minutes later, was the peak of Paderborn's efforts in the capital, but Andre Breitenreiter's side look resigned to an immediate return to the second division after one win in 16 matches.
Left-back Schulz compounded Paderborn's woes with the second two minutes from time.
