Skela double provides Energie boost

Ervin Skela's double helped FC Energie Cottbus surge off the bottom of the Bundesliga and out of the relegation zone with a 2-1 win against Hertha BSC Berlin while defences dominated at Hannover 96 where VfB Stuttgart were held.

Consecutive home successes
Bottom of the table at the start of the day, Energie chalked up another vital home win, after their shock success against leaders FC Bayern München a fortnight ago, to move up four places. Even more impressively they had to come from behind to take the three points after Mineiro opened the scoring on 21 minutes for Hertha with a low shot from outside the box. Skela provided the spark to haul his side back into the game with a sublime free-kick from 20 metres four minutes before half-time then the 31-year-old kept his composure from the penalty spot 17 minutes into an even second half to register his first double for the club.

Pivotal period
Stuttgart's hopes of a return to the UEFA Champions League next season still hang in the balance after an insipid goalless draw at Hannover. The home side remain tenth and probably shaded the contest but sixth-placed Stuttgart sit three points adrift of the coveted top three in Germany. Two of the sides above them, Hamburger SV and Bayer 04 Leverkusen, provide their next two league opponents after a weekend in which none of the top six sides in the Bundesliga won.