Bremen secure second place in German Bundesliga table

BERLIN, May 3 (Xinhua) -- German soccer powerhouse Werder Bremen have secured the second place in the Bundesliga table after they defeated Energie Cottbus 2-0 on Saturday, while their top rival Schalke 04 saw an unwilling 1-1 draw with Hannover.

Boasting 57 points in total, Bremen claim two points ahead of Schalke 04, strengthening their grip on the second place in the Bundesliga table, which means a ticket to qualify for next year's Champions League.

Substitute strikers Markus Rosenberg and Hugo Almeida led Werder Bremen to a 2-0 victory against Energie Cottbus.

Both strikers came on in the second half and both scored to shut out Energie Cottbus 2-0. The 67th and 79th minute goals mean Bremen remain on track to qualify for the Champions League.

Bremen's home victory also leave Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a little work to do to secure their 21st league title.

Werder are nine points behind Bayern with three games left to play. However, Bayern have a big advantage in goal difference but to be mathematically sure of the title they need a point from their final four matches, starting away to VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday.

If they claim at least a draw from that game, they will be celebrating their 20th title since the Bundesliga era began in 1963 and their 21st of all time, including their first German championship success in 1932.

It would also be a third domestic double in four seasons, after their Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund last month.

Third-placed Schalke 04 saw their hopes of claiming second fade when they were held 1-1 at home to Hanover 96.

Arnold Bruggink's free kick put Hanover ahead in the eighth minute and Schalke needed a fine equalizer from Halil Altintop, who burst past three defenders and chipped the keeper at the end of the first half, to claim a point.

Also on Saturday, Hertha BSC have secured their Bundesliga status with a 3-1 home win over Karlsruher SC.

Karlsruhe's last Bundesliga win in Berlin dates back to November 30, 1963.

Bundesliga powerhouse Hamburg returned to winning ways on Saturday as they ended their poor run with a 3-1 win at FC Hansa Rostock.

Huub Stevens' team had failed to win any of their last six matches, but victory in Rostock lifted them to fourth spot with 51 points.

Croatian international Ivica Olic opened the scoring after 18 minutes with what was Hamburg's first goal after 385 minutes. Captain Rafael van der Vaart scored his first goal in nine matches with a spectacular bycicle kick nine minutes later.

Arminia Bielefeld have broken the Bochum curse with a 2-0 away win, breaking a home match losing streak against VfL that stretches back to 1997. They also picked up three important points to help avoid their seventh relegation from the Bundesliga.

In another tete-a-tete game, Stuttgart swept Frankfurt 4-1 at home.