Hamburg: Kevin Kuranyi scored four goals as Schalke 04 swept aside talk of a crisis with an emphatic 5-0 victory over Energie Cottbus in the German Bundesliga.

Two days after the sacking of coach Mirko Slomka, Schalke responded in style on Tuesday under interim trainers Mike Bueskens and Youri Mulder against a Cottbus side which had won their last three games.

Schalke stay third on 51 points, two points behind Werder Bremen who snatched a 2-1 win at lowly Hansa Rostock.

Bremen move within seven points of leaders Bayern Munich who could again extend the gap to 10 with a win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday.

Meanwhile Ivica Olic missed a penalty for fourth-placed SV Hamburg who lost further ground after a 0-0 draw at Hertha Berlin to make it five games without a win.

In the day's other game, Bochum enjoyed a 1-0 win at seventh-placed Wolfsburg thanks to an 88th minute goal from Stanislav Sestak.

Schalke responded to a 5-1 defeat at Werder Bremen on Saturday with a goal feast of their own under the charge of former players Bueskens and Mulder.

Schalke piled on the pressure from the start, and after a series of good chances took the lead in the 31st minute when Vragel da Silva turned a Marcelo Bordon header from a free-kick into his own net.

Germany striker Kuranyi then took over the scoring, netting from close range in the 37th and striking again four minutes later with a run and crisp shot from the edge of the area.

His hat-trick came in the 59th when Fabien Ernst slotted the ball into the penalty area for Kuranyi to slide the ball past keeper Gerhard Tremmel.

He then headed his fourth 10 minutes from time, at the same time taking a punch on the chin from Tremmel who was just beaten by Kuranyi to the cross from Rafinha.

Kuranyi lay dazed on the ground but was able to continue after treatment.

"Today was the team's day not mine," said Kuranyi who scored four goals in a Bundesliga game for the first time and took his tally to the season to 14.

"We were calm from the start and combined well. I scored the goals because the team played well. I am delighted to score four but I know I have the team to thank for everything."

Bueskens, who had been coach of the reserve team, said: "You saw the lads enjoy themselves today. They created loads of chances. It was fun to watch them play football.

"We've been talking a lot to the boys in the past two days. We've had a lot of pressure but despite this football is still a game to enjoy."

Bremen took the points at Rostock thanks to an 82nd-minute winner from Ivan Klasnic who followed up a save by keeper Stefan Waechter from a poorly-taken penalty by Brazilian defender Naldo.

Rostock's Sebastian Haehnge had levelled in the 76th minute after Torsten Frings opened the scoring with a 25-metre pile driver in the 57th.

Hamburg's Dutch coach Huub Stevens travelled with the team to Hertha Berlin, a day after his wife underwent surgery in Rotterdam, but his presence failed to change the fading fortunes of the northern Germans.

Olic had the chance to win the game in the 75th minute after Guy Demel was brought down in the area, but the Croatia striker put his penalty wide of the post.

Source : DPA