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Schalke draw with Frankfurt, Werder crush Gladbach

Schalke failed to replicate their Champions League form from midweek when they beat Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-1 and despite some good chances from Raul and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar were lucky to take a point after Frankfurt missed a late chance for Halil Altintop.

Last season’s runners-up Schalke, who spent millions of euros in the close season, have started badly this term and are in 15^th spot on six points.

Werder Bremen took a fifth-minute lead through Marko Marin and Brazilian Wesley added another seven minutes later after he ran almost the length of the pitch without being challenged to fire in.

The hosts were again taken by surprise early in the second half with Germany international Aaron Hunt seeing his shot take a deflection and go past keeper Logan Bailly before the hosts cut the deficit with a Per Mertesacker own goal.

Peruvian Claudio Pizarro sealed Bremen’s win in the 75^th minute with his 134^th Bundesliga goal, a record for a foreign player.

Cologne suffered a further setback in their bid to stay up, losing 2-1 at Hanover 96 with Ivorian striker Didier Ya Konan scoring twice early in the first half to take his season’s tally to five goals.

VfL Wolfsburg’s lacklustre start to the season under former England coach Steve McClaren continued when the 2009 champions slumped to 2-1 defeat by Nuremberg. Wolfsburg are 13^th with 10 points from nine games.

Champions Bayern Munich escaped on Friday with a 0-0 draw at Hamburg SV, who moved up to fifth spot on 15 points.

Leaders Borussia Dortmund host Hoffenheim while second-placed Mainz, also on 21 points, travel to Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.