Werder Bremen 0-2 Schalke 04: Kuranyi and Moravek down Bremen

(GSM) – FC Schalke 04 conjured up a magnificent 2-0 against title rivals SV Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion and also ended the home sides’ 23-game unbeaten streak to move into second place in the Bundesliga.

Kevin Kuranyi put the Royal Blues ahead in the 47th minute with his eighth goal of the season and he turned provided for Jan Moravek to secure all three points for Felix Magath’s side.

The Gelsenkirchen based club move to within a point of league leaders Bayer Leverkusen with one game to go before the midway stage of the season.

The win also consolidates the fact that the visitors now have one of the best away records of the Bundesliga with five wins, two draws and one loss in eight away fixtures.

Meanwhile, Bremen slip to fourth behind Bayern Munich after losing for the first time since August.

Both sides came into the game locked together on 28 points, and there was nothing between them on the field either during a tense opening 45 minutes.

Schalke showed they had not come merely to defend a point, but Bremen showed little of their recent attacking prowess as both defences dominated in the first half.

Kuranyi then broke the deadlock in the 47th minute, picking up a pass from Lewis Holtby inside the area before taking the ball past Tim Wiese and placing it into the empty net.

Bremen were forced to react and Mesut Ozil had a good chance to bring them level in the 54th minute, but Manuel Neuer made an excellent reaction save.

The home team threw everybody forward, including substitute Claudio Pizarro, who was making his comeback after six weeks on the sidelines.

But they could not find the way to goal and Schalke caught them on the counter attack.

Kuranyi used his strength and determination to dribble the ball through the ranks of Bremen players before showing the delicacy and vision to slide the ball through to Moravek, whose shot took a telling deflection off Per Mertesacker and looped over the helpless Wiese.

Bremen could no longer summon the strength to react and had to wave the white flag for the first time since August 8, the opening day of the Bundesliga season.