BERLIN — Schalke needed a penalty save and a late own goal to scramble a 1-0 win at Wolfsburg and retain second place in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Substitute Breel Embolo helped create the decider when his pass across the box was turned into his own net by Robin Knoche four minutes from time.
Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann saved Paul Verhaegh’s penalty in the 76th minute after Matija Nastasic had fouled Riechedly Bazoer.
Watch match highlights: Hoffenheim 3, Borussia Monchengladbach 3 || Eintracht Frankfurt 3, Mainz 0 || Hertha Berlin 2, Hamburg 1 || Werder Bremen 3, Augsburg 1 || Schalke 1, Wolfsburg 0 ||
"This is the work of our entire goalkeeping team," Faehrmann said of his stop. "I don’t want to boast about it on my own, we’re always meticulously prepared for such situations."
Schalke’s fifth consecutive win opened a four-point advantage over third-place Borussia Dortmund, which hosts Hannover on Sunday.
Wolfsburg is 15th.
"We played well and then missed the penalty and conceded a goal," Knoche said. "I’m sorry for the team."
Runaway leader Bayern Munich is 17 points clear before visiting Leipzig on Sunday.
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EINTRACHT FOURTH
Eintracht Frankfurt kept in the hunt for a top-four finish, and a Champions League berth, by beating Mainz 3-0.
Kevin-Prince Boateng put Eintracht in front after six minutes. Ante Rebic set up Luka Jovic for the second goal and Rebic finished off a counterattack before halftime.
Eintracht is fourth ahead of fifth-place Bayer Leverkusen’s trip to Cologne on Sunday.
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GLADBACH FIGHTBACK
Matthias Ginter netted in the 89th minute as Borussia Monchengladbach came from behind three times to draw 3-3 at home to seventh-place Hoffenheim.
Benjamin Hubner scored with a header before substitute Josip Drmic replied for Gladbach in the first half.
Andrej Kramaric converted a penalty after Jonas Hofmann had fouled Serge Gnabry to put Hoffenheim back in front. Lars Stindl then levelled before Florian Grillitsch quickly restored the visitors’ advantage.
Ninth-place Gladbach was staring at defeat until Ginter turned in Raffael’s cross at the far post to snatch a point that kept his team in the hunt for a Europa League berth.
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BELFODIL DOUBLE
Werder Bremen continued to climb away from danger after Algerian forward Ishak Belfodil grabbed two goals in a 3-1 win at Augsburg.
Belfodil was twice on target before halftime. Rani Khedira pulled one back for Augsburg before Max Kruse secured the points.
Werder is 12th after a fourth victory in six matches.
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NO RELIEF FOR HAMBURG
Hertha Berlin rallied for a 2-1 victory at relegation-haunted Hamburg.
Douglas Santos put Hamburg ahead before halftime, only for Valentino Lazaro and Salomon Kalou to turn the match around in the 56th and 63rd minutes.
Hamburg, the only club never to be relegated from the Bundesliga, is seven points from safety after 14 matches without a victory.
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