Kevin Kuranyi bagged four goals as Schalke stormed to a 5-0 victory at home to Energie Cottbus in the first game under their new coaching duo.

After the sacking of Mirko Slomka, Mike Buskens and Youri Mulder took over the reigns and saw their Schalke side come up with the perfect answer to the week's turmoil.

Cottbus' Vragel da Silva scored an own goal in the 31st minute and Kuranyi followed with goals in the 37th, 41st, 59th and 80th for Schalke, who remain two points behind second-placed Werder Bremen.

Bremen picked up their third straight victory with a 2-1 win at Hansa Rostock to gain ground on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

Ivan Klasnic snatched the winner eight minutes from time after Stefan Wachter had kept out Naldo's penalty.

Torsten Frings had opened the scoring for the visitors in the 57th minute only for substitute Sebastian Hahnge to bring Rostock level.

The victory moves Thomas Schaaf's side to within seven points of Bayern, who play at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Hertha Berlin and Hamburg failed to illuminate the Olympic Stadium in a goalless draw which extends both sides' runs of poor form.

Berlin have not won for seven games now and rarely looked like doing so, although they did have a Lukasz Piszczek goal harshly disallowed for offside after an hour.

Hamburg's last three-point haul came five matches ago with a 1-0 win over Borussia Dortmund and they did have a golden opportunity to win this one when Ivica Olic missed a penalty 15 minutes from time.

Elsewhere, Bochum edged past an in-form Wolfsburg side thanks to Stanislav Sestak's late goal in a 1-0 away win.

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