Schalke beat rival Borussia Dortmund 2-0 in the Ruhr derby on Sunday to consolidate second place in the Bundesliga and take a giant step toward guaranteeing a Champions League spot.
Second-half goals from Yevhen Konoplyanka and Naldo gave Schalke an eight-point cushion over fifth-place Leipzig with four rounds remaining.
The top four in Germany qualify for the Champions League.
"It's something special. A derby win at this point in the season is a highlight," Schalke sporting director Christian Heidel said.
Coach Domenico Tedesco celebrated with fans in the stands.
"It's a privilege for me to be up there with the ultras," the 32-year-old Tedesco said.
Dortmund's first derby defeat since September 2014 dropped the side to fourth, below Bayer Leverkusen on goal difference. Dortmund is four points behind Schalke and four ahead of Leipzig, held to a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen in the late game.
"We made individual mistakes," Dortmund coach Peter Stoeger said after his second defeat in 15 games. "They made better use of the decisive situations than we did."
Schalke looked more likely to score in the first half, though Dortmund's Marco Reus went closest when he drew a good save from Ralf Faehrmann with a free kick.
"We brought a lot of passion onto the pitch," Faehrmann said. "Everyone knew we could devour any opponent on a good day."
Konoplyanka broke the deadlock five minutes after the break after a mistake from Marcel Schmelzer. The Dortmund captain lost the ball to Daniel Caligiuri, who surged forward and found the unmarked Konoplyanka to pick his spot and blast inside the left post.
Dortmund looked labored as it sought a response against the home side's well-organized defense, and Naldo settled the result late with an indirect free kick. Marco Pjaca tipped the ball to Caligiuri, who stopped it for Naldo. The defender hammered the ball past Dortmund's ineffective wall and inside the left post again.
Dortmund's disappointing afternoon ended with Michy Batshuayi being stretchered off in injury time.
The local Ruhr Nachrichten newspaper reported the Belgian striker, who is on loan from Chelsea, is suspected to have suffered a lower-leg fracture.
Ademola Lookman thwarts Bremen to keep Leipzig in top-four hunt
Ademola Lookman scored RB Leipzig's equaliser as the visitors drew 1-1 at Werder Bremen on Sunday to keep alive their hopes of a top-four finish.
The visitors were looking to end a difficult week on a high, having suffered a chastening 4-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen on Monday and lost out to Marseille in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League on Thursday. As such, coach Ralph Hasenhüttl make six changes to his side, benching Naby Keita and only naming six substitutes. Indeed, Leipzig looked fatugued in the first half and they fell behind on 28 minutes when Niklas Moisander scuffed a shot over the line after Max Kruse's initial effort had struck the bar.
Leipzig's Peter Gulacsi produced a smart double save to deny Milot Rashica and Zlatko Junuzovic before the interval as Bremen had their opponents on the ropes, but the visitors were much improved after the break with the introduction of youngster Lookman. The Englishman lashed in an equaliser five minutes after coming on and suddenly the balance of the game shifted. Timo Werner had three efforts on goal alone, while Kruse also tested Gulacsi. Both sides pressed for a winner in an entertaining end to the game, but each showed signs of nerves when the chance presented itself, Werner shooting at Pavlenka's legs and Moisander heading wide after Ishak Belfodil was denied. Leipzig move up above Hoffenheim into fifth, four points behind Borussia Dortmund in fourth, while Bremen climb to 12th.