Schalke 04 beat Borussia Dortmund 2-0 Sunday in the Ruhr derby to consolidate second place in the Bundesliga and move even closer to securing a Champions League spot.
Second-half goals from Yevhen Konoplyanka and Naldo put Schalke four points clear of Bayer Leverkusen and Dortmund with four rounds remaining.
Dortmund dropped to fourth, the last qualification place for the Champions League, five points ahead of Hoffenheim, Eintracht Frankfurt and Leipzig.
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Leipzig was playing at Werder Bremen later Sunday.
Schalke looked more likely to score in the first half, though Dortmund’s Marco Reus went closest when he drew a good save from Ralf Faehrmann with a free kick.
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Konoplyanka broke the deadlock five minutes after the break after a mistake from Marcel Schmelzer. The Dortmund captain lost the ball to Daniel Caligiuri, who surged forward and found the unmarked Konoplyanka to pick his spot and blast inside the left post.
Dortmund looked labored as it sought a response against the home side’s well-organized defense, and Naldo settled the result late with an indirect free kick. Marco Pjaca sent the ball to Caligiuri, who stopped it for Naldo. The defender hammered the ball past Dortmund’s ineffective wall and inside the left post again.
{{/usCountry}}Dortmund looked labored as it sought a response against the home side’s well-organized defense, and Naldo settled the result late with an indirect free kick. Marco Pjaca sent the ball to Caligiuri, who stopped it for Naldo. The defender hammered the ball past Dortmund’s ineffective wall and inside the left post again.
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