Bayern title boost as 9-man Dortmund loses to Schalke 4-2

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Nine-man Borussia Dortmund blew a chance to return to the top of the Bundesliga after losing at home to Schalke 4-2 on Saturday, giving a huge title boost to Bayern Munich.

Second-placed Dortmund, which lost Marco Reus and Marius Wolf to straight red cards around the hour mark, remained a point behind Bayern, which visits Nuremberg on Sunday.

There are three rounds left after the weekend.

Mario Gotze scored the opening goal, and Axel Witsel pulled Dortmund to 3-2 behind after the red cards, but Breel Embolo bagged the insurance goal two minutes later for Schalke.

Jadon Sancho set up Gotze’s opener in the action-packed Revierderby and, in the celebration, the England international was hit by a pocket lighter thrown from the crowd, but the winger was able to continue.

Daniel Caligiuri, with two, and Salif Sane scored Schalke’s other goals.

Third-placed Leipzig beat Freiburg 2-1 to secure Champions League soccer next season. Leipzig was 10 points ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt, which drew with Hertha Berlin 0-0 and occupied the fourth and last spot for Champions League qualification.

Also, Fortuna Duesseldorf beat Werder Bremen 4-1 and last-placed Hannover defeated Mainz 1-0.

Stuttgart hosts Borussia Moenchengladbach later.

Bayer Leverkusen won 4-1 at Augsburg on Friday.