Four-goal Kuranyi lifts Schalke

Kevin Kuranyi scored four times to help FC Schalke 04 defeat Bundesliga rivals FC Energie Cottbus 5-0 just two days after dismissing coach Mirko Slomka. 

Welcome win
The victory gave caretaker coach Mike Büskens the ideal start and came in the wake of Schalke's UEFA Champions League quarter-final exit at the hands of FC Barcelona last week and Saturday's 5-1 demolition by their rivals for second place in the league, Werder Bremen. Kuranyi struck his first on 37 minutes but the Royal Blues were already a goal to the good in Gelsenkirchen when Vragel da Silva put through his own net after six minutes.

Kuranyi strikes
The German international got his second four minutes after his first and completed his hat-trick just before the hour mark. The 26-year-old finished off the scoring ten minutes from time to seal the home side's biggest Bundesliga win of the season. However, they still remain in third, two points behind Bremen who needed a late Ivan Klasnić strike to win 2-1 at FC Hansa Rostock.

Bremen hold second
Torsten Frings had given Bremen the lead after 57 minutes but Sebastian Hähnge replied for the home side with 16 minutes remaining. Klasnić struck, though, just eight minutes from time to maintain his side's hold on second. Now without a win in five matches, Hamburger SV dropped three points behind Schalke and the last UEFA Champions League qualifying place, but still climbed into fourth with a goalless draw at Hertha BSC Berlin who themselves rise a place to 12th. In the night's other match, Stanislav Šesták's 88th-minute strike gave VfL Bochum 1848 a 1-0 win at VfL Wolfsburg.