Schalke 04 produced a solid performance to go to Hamburger SV and claim a 3-0 win, which moved them up to fifth in the Bundesliga.
In an even first half, the finishing ability of fit-again Klaas-Jan Huntelaar was the difference, as he nodded in a Jefferson Farfan cross to put his side in front.
The second half was one-way traffic, with Farfan scoring one of his own before Max Meyer made sure of the points as he swept in from the Peruvian's cross a few minutes later.
Read how the action unfolded below with our live text commentary.
Hello again all! Kickoff is just five minutes away for this one, so I'll get straight on to the team news.
HAMBURG XI: Drobny; Lam, Westermann, Tah, Jansen; Badelj, Arslan; Ilicevic, Van der Vaart, Calhanoglu; Lasogga
Hamburg subs: Neuhaus, Diekmeier, Bouy, Sobiech, Jiracek, John, Zoua
SCHALKE XI: Fahrmann; Uchida, Santana, Matip, Kolasinac; Neustadter, Boateng; Farfan, Meyer, Fuchs; Huntelaar
Schalke subs: Hildebrand, Hoogland, Goretzka, Obasi, Szalai, Sobottka
so there you see the big news for Schalke. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is back having missed most of the season. Can he pick up where he left off? We'll find out in a minute.
KICKOFF: Schalke, in their green shirts today, get the game underway but give the ball away straight away.
Hamburg have seen plenty of possession early on and are looking comfortable on the ball. Pierre-Michel Lasogga gets his first run having beaten the offside trap but his attempted shot is blocked behind.
Little bit dodgy at the back for Schalke as Santana hammers a clearance into his own keeper, but it lands safe. Then Kolasinac tries to break down the left, but loses the ball.
Not much to report in the way of attacking at the moment, although Hamburg are looking more lively. We haven't seen a lot of Huntelaar up front for Schalke thus far.
Kevin-Prince Boateng has what must go down as a chance, arriving late in the box from a Kolasinac cross, but he was put off well by Jansen to make the header difficult.
There haven't been any shots that have troubled either keeper as yet. Most of the game is being played in the middle of the park, but neither team is particularly winning as yet. It's all a bit edgy at the moment.
CHANCE! There's another effort from the head of Boateng, who got power on it but it was straight at Drobny. Huntelaar might well have been better positioned, but Boateng was making that his all day long.
Hamburg are now enjoying a spell of possession, but off the ball Schalke have a rigid four in midfield which is hard for the hosts to get past. Another move breaks down and Schalke win it back again.
Really timely interception from Westermann there as Huntelaar played a one-two with Boateng. The low cross was just cut out by the home skipper or it was 1-0.
That was probably the best chance we've had in the opening 25 minutes. Certainly, but for Westermann it would have been a goal. The crowd are a little quiet as yet another passing move for the hosts breaks down - Santana this time winning the ball.
SAVE! Schalke are starting to take control of this one now. Boateng delays a pass well and then finds Kolasinac to his left, but the angle wasn't quite there for the shot and Drobny gathers well in the end down low.
Lam is down here after a coming together with Fuchs. The Schalke man accidentally caught the defender's Achilles with his studs and I don't think Lam can play on. This could be nasty.
SCHALKE SUB: Lam indeed cannot continue, which means that Dennis Diekmeier is on for his 100th Bundesliga appearance. The injury isn't good news for Schalke, but they'll be glad that their first-choice right-back is now fit.
Lam is finally being taken from the sidelines on a stretcher and still looks in a lot of pain. With all the ligament injuries recently, I wouldn't be surprised if that's another.
GOAL! Hamburg 0-1 Schalke (Huntelaar)
That's what they've missed from Huntelaar! The ball is spread wide to Farfan, who puts the ball on the head of Huntelaar and from there there's only one outcome - 1-0. It's Huntelaar's 10th in six against Hamburg. He's not done a lot so far, but that is why he's so prolific.
BOOKING: Uchida is booked for a foul on John - first he tries to tug him down and then misses the ball with a sliding tackle. The winger was just too quick for him there.
BOOKING: Another card and this time for handball. Badelj drills in a shot from range and it hits Huntelaar's arm right on the edge of the box. Dangerous spot, this.
SAVE! Van der Vaart tries to catch out Fahrmann by going to the near side of the wall where the keeper was standing. He wasn't to be wrong-footed though and tipped the ball over. Good save.
SAVE! An easier save there for the keeper, as Jansen drills a low shot but doesn't get enough power on it and Fahrmann gathers down low. This is bright from Hamburg in the last few minutes.
Chance for Hamburg to break is stalled slightly as Lasogga's flick to Badelj is behind him. It allows the visitors back, before then John on the right flank tries to take it around a couple of players three times each, eventually winning the throw.
Great tracking back from Badelj there, as Farfan looked to sprint down the right but the Hamburg man got back to put in a good sliding tackle.
Two minutes of added time have been indicated at the end of this half. Can Hamburg get another good chance?
HALF TIME: Hamburg 0-1 Schalke
So a very good half of football comes to an end and Schalke hold a slender lead. It's probably been even enough that a draw might be a fair reflection, but Schalke have the clinical Huntelaar, which has been the difference.
After the goal Hamburg had one or two very good chances. Van der Vaart tested Fahrmann with a good free kick, before Jansen probably should have done better with a low strike.
Hamburg won't be too disappointed, despite the scoreline. For the first half an hour or so they struggled to create much, but showed after that that Schalke won't be comfortable at 1-0.
The players are back out now and we'll be underway for the second half shortly.
Here we go then. Can Hamburg get themselves back into this one? I sense this is far from decided.
CLOSE! Really good strike from Ilicevic there, who cut in from the left after being found by his captain, but his strike went just a yard over the bar. Fahrmann probably had it covered, but that's an encouraging start.
Huntelaar is almost in there, but he was offside when the pass came in and was rightly flagged. There have been some nice touches early in the half from Badelj and John, but still just the early effort.
Schalke have taken the sting out of the early pressure in this half from the hosts and are now passing it around nicely. They haven't tested Drobny yet in the half though.
GOAL! Hamburg 0-2 Schalke (Jefferson Farfan)
Whoops. Drobny, look away now! A punt forward means a race between Drobny and Farfan. They get there at the same time and the winger pinches it off the nose of the keeper as he stooped to head it away, and then tapped it into the empty net. That could be that.
GOAL! Hamburg 0-3 Schalke (Max Meyer)
Well, if it wasn't over before it is now. Huntelaar sends Farfan away down the right with a header and he races down the right. Meyer waits in the box for the cutback and sweeps it into the bottom corner. So simple, but so effective. The home fans are leaving already!
It's cruise control now for Schalke, who are probing patiently. Is there anything that Bert van Marwijk can do to salvage this for his side?
They have missed Lasogga, the hosts, after he was forced off early with an injury. There just hasn't been that focal point up front. John, who replaced him, is not the same type of player.
HAMBURG SUB: Jacques Zoua is on for for Ilicevic, who has been one of his side's better players tonight. Meanwhile, Santana is down receiving treatment after a clash of heads.
Van der Vaart drives forward and thinks he's won a corner as a shot is blocked behind, but it's not given. And rightly so - his right-footed effort was just sliced instead. This has been a bad day at the office for most of the players in white.
Lovely neat football on the edge of the box from Schalke, but an eventual shot from a tight angle by Farfan is saved by the legs of Drobny. Hamburg have very few answers right now.
CHANCE! Best chance of the half from the hosts there. Calhanoglu sets Diekmeier away down the right, who stabs the ball to the back post where VDV's header is saved by Fahrmann. Off comes Huntelaar to roars from the travelling fans - he's replaced by Adam Szalai.
SCHALKE SUB: Another change for the away side as Fuchs makes way for Leon Goretzka. The former has worked hard today, but faded in the last 15 or so minutes.
Half-chance for Matip to get an effort on target from a corner, but it was at an awkward height for him and his effort went well wide.
POST! Whipped free kick from the left is headed clear, and then worked back to Diekmeier. He humps it forward and Zoua wins the header before Badelj strikes a wonderful curling effort against the post and back into play. Unlucky.
SCHALKE SUB: Final change for Schalke here, as Tom Hoogland is on for Uchida. The Japanese will sit out of the next game thanks to the booking he picked up earlier.
No-one is really busting a gut any more in this one as both groups of players are aware that the game is over.
The pace that Schalke possess is still troubling the hosts. Meyer is brought down, with Farfan stepping over the kick.
SAVE! Almost 4-0. Matip gets on to a deep free kick from Farfan and really cleverly flicks it into the opposite corner, but Drobny is down quickly to push it away. That was an excellent headed attempt from the Schalke centre-back.
Farfan has been absolutely brilliant today. He just produced a superb little back-heel to Meyer, but even with his pace couldn't get on to the return ball. This has been an excellent second half from Schalke.
FULL TIME: Hamburg 0-3 Schalke
Perfect start to the Ruckrunde for Schalke, who produce a thoroughly efficient performance. The Hamburg players applaud whoever is left of the home support, but they are very much in trouble at the moment. Thanks for joining me this afternoon and I'll be back on Friday with more German football action. Goodbye.
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
