Schalke stumble
March 21, 2010
Trailing by a goal at halftime, Schalke came out of the dressing room focused on winning the game after a very tentative first 45 minutes. Kevin Kuranyi banged a header into the back of the net in the 62nd minute that deflected off Hamburg's Rozehnal.
Just six minutes later, Ivan Rakitic drove in a controversial penalty after a foul in the box, putting the Ruhr Valley club up 2-1.
But a late goal by Hamburg's Jonathan Pitroipa in the 77th minute tied the game after a mistake by keeper Manuel Neuer, upsetting Schalke's journey to the top of the Bundesliga standings.
With 27 matches played so far this season and seven to go, Bayern Munich remains at the top of the table, despite losing to Frankfurt on Saturday.
After Sunday's performance, Schalke will have to settle for second, one point adrift of Munich, but two points ahead of third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, which missed its own opportunity to move up the ranks with an embarrassing 3-0 loss to Dortmund on Saturday.
Hope for Hertha?
In the final weekend match, Bundesliga cellar dweller Hertha Berlin produced one of its best efforts of the season, surprising everyone, not least of all themselves.
Playing away against 10th placed Wolfsburg, Hertha suddenly appeared to remember how to score goals, crushing their hapless opponents 5-1.
Berlin, now on 18 points overall, has a slim theoretical chance of climbing out of the hole to avoid relegation.
gb/sid/dpa
Editor: Mark Hallam