Football news - Leonardo Bittencourt beauty gives life to Bremen and keeps pressure on David Wagner

Leonardo Bittencourt's scorcher helped Werder Bremen pull closer to safety while piling pressure on Schalke boss David Wagner in the process in a contest otherwise lacking in quality at the Veltins-Arena.

Relegation-threatened Bremen started the afternoon five points adrift of 16th-place but they extended their unbeaten run to three matches with an impressive performance at free-falling Schalke, who are now on an eleven-game winless streak.

The visitors were rewarded for a fast start, with Bittencourt lashing a powerful strike from 25 yards into the top corner past Bayern Munich-bound Alexander Nubel - restored to the team - in the 32nd-minute, after on-loan Barcelona defender Jean-Clair Todibo was caught in possession in midfield.

A double change and a shift in tactics at the break sparked a much-improved second half performance from Schalke and yet they rarely troubled the visitors, Benito Raman going closest with a stinging effort from a tight angle, while Michael Gregoritsch flashed a volley just over Jiri Pavlenka's bar.

Defeat means that with six games to go the race is on for the team to survive whilst further questions will be asked of Wagner as his Schalke team slip further away from the European places. They drop to 10th in the table but have lost their last four since the resumption of the Bundesliga. Bremen, meanwhile, inch closer to safety and are now just two points behind Dusseldorf in 16th.

When the sides met earlier in the season, Schalke moved to within three points of leaders Bayern Munich with a gritty 2-1 victory. Wagner's men have won only three games since and now find themselves closer to the bottom spot than top. In fact, Schalke are now only 12 points above the drop zone and in this form, Wagner - whose side have scored only two goals in their last nine outings - must be concerned about getting dragged into a relegation scrap. That's if he can survive as boss.

In contrast, resurgent Bremen have won two of their three games since football's resumption and have yet to concede in 270 minutes of action. History tells us they always seem to find a way to claw themselves to safety and although they have left it much later this campaign, they have momentum and a newly-found belief to beat the drop once again.

In a game lacking in quality, Bremen's forward was the most energetic and looked the most likely to make something happen, particularly after Bittencourt was forced off with injury at half-time.

Schalke: Nubel 5, Kabak 5, Sane 6, Todibo 4, Kenny 5, Schopf 5, Miranda 5, Caligiuri 6, McKennie 7, Gregoritsch 6, Matondo 4.. subs: Raman 6, Kutucu 6, Boujellab 5, Burgstaller N/A, Oczpka 6.

Werder Bremen: Pavlenka 6, Langkamp 6, Vogt 6, Moisander 6, Gebre Selassie 6, M Eggestein 8, Klaassen 7, Freidl 7, Bittencourt 7, Sargent 6, Rashica 6.. subs: Osako 6, Selke 5, Bartles, Gross N/A, Bargfrede 5.

32' - GOAL! Schalke 0-1 Werder Bremen (Bittencourt): What a beautiful strike by Bittencourt! Todibo is closed down by Klaassen in midfield, Rashica rolls it Bittencourt, who from 25 yards, smashes the ball past Nubel into the top right hand corner for his fourth goal of the season.

53' - Schalke finally register a shot on target! There's a bit more about the hosts since the restart and McKennie's cross falls into the path of Raman who stings the gloves of Pavlenka with a shot from a tight angle.

57' - The hosts goes close! Schalke, with their third corner of the second half already, almost find their leveller. Raman's flick-on is headed on by Sane and Gregoritsch flashes a venomous volley just over the bar.

Werder Bremen have recorded three consecutive clean sheets in the Bundesliga for the first time under manager Florian Kohfeldt and for the first time since 2013-14.