BERLIN: Argentina striker Franco di Santos marked his return from injury with both goals as Werder Bremen climbed out of the relegation places in Sunday's 2-0 win over Hertha Berlin.
The ex-Chelsea and Wigan forward, who missed the final few league games of 2014 with a knee injury, produced two clinical strikes either side of half-time to give Werder the three points which lifted them from 16th to 12th.
Defeat at Bremen drops Hertha to 15th and just above the relegation zone, but things remain tight at the foot of the table with just three points separating the bottom six teams.
On Saturday, Borussia Dortmund slipped back to the bottom for the first
time since November despite picking up a point in their goalless draw at fellow Champions League side Bayer Leverkusen's BayArena.
"That was an important point. I am happy, we're within striking distance (of mid-table)," said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, whose side are enduring their worst start to a league season in 30 years.
"I can't preach that we are in a relegation battle and demand champagne football."
Schalke 04's star striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will miss Tuesday's Bundesliga clash at leaders Bayern Munich after being sent off in their 1-0 league win over Hanover 96.
'The Hunter', who has claimed seven league goals this season, was shown a straight red for hacking down Hanover's Manuel Schmiedebach five minutes from time.
The Royal Blues went ahead at the Veltins Arena when midfielder Marco Hoeger slotted his shot past Hanover's Germany goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler with 32 minutes gone.
The win lifted Di Matteo's Schalke, who face holders Real Madrid in the last 16 of the Champions League next month, up to fourth in the table.
- Bayern shock -
Pep Guardiola's Bayern had their lead cut to eight points on Friday when they suffered a shock 4-1 hammering at second-placed VfL Wolfsburg as the Bundesliga resumed after the winter break.
Borussia Moenchengladbach went third in the league on Saturday after Patrick Herrmann netted their second-half goal in a 1-0 win over VfB Stuttgart, who dropped to second from bottom.
Herrmann drilled home Branimir Hrgota's swirling cross 20 minutes from time to move Lucien Favre's side up behind leaders Bayern and VfL Wolfsburg.
Freiburg's 4-1 win over Frankfurt featured a second-half hat-trick from ex-Bayern striker Nils Petersen, who came off the bench to grab the points for Freiburg which lifted them to 14th and put Dortmund bottom.
Cologne pulled away from the relegation zone and up to tenth with a 2-0 win at strugglers Hamburg, who dropped into the bottom three.
Cologne picked up their fifth away win, to match Bayern's tally on the road as midfielder Marcel Risse scored both second-half goals.
Mid-table Mainz are 11th after romping to a 5-0 win over Paderborn as midfielder Yunus Malli scored twice and set up their third.
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