Schalke’s 4-2 loss in Bremen leaves coach on brink

BERLIN (AP) — Werder Bremen came from behind to beat Schalke 4-2 on Friday and leave coach Domenico Tedesco’s job on the line after his side’s third consecutive Bundesliga defeat.

Milot Rashica scored twice as Bremen climbed up to eighth place and left Schalke in danger of dropping closer to the relegation zone. Stuttgart could cut the gap to one point with a win at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Breel Embolo scored both Schalke goals but it likely won’t be enough to save Tedesco after seven league games without a win.

Schalke’s new sporting director Jochen Schneider increased the pressure on Tedesco on Tuesday, and the coach responded with four changes to the side that was humiliated at home 4-0 by Fortuna Duesseldorf last weekend.

Defender Salif Sane, who’d previously played every minute in the league, was dropped, while Hamza Mendyl, Mark Uth and Amine Harit were left out of the squad altogether.

Weston McKennie returned from injury and was joined in the starting lineup by Bastian Oczipka, Steven Skrzybski and Embolo.

The changes had the desired effect as the visitors started with promise with Jiri Pavlenka producing a brilliant save to deny Guido Burgstaller early on.

Embolo then scored with a fine finish in the 26th minute after McKennie headed the ball into his path.

But Rashica equalized against the run of play five minutes later, and Max Kruse made it 2-1 from the penalty spot early in the second half after referee Martin Petersen consulted video replays of an apparent shove by Daniel Caligiuri, who protested vehemently as Tedesco shook his head on the bench.

The visitors could have no complaints about Rashica’s second goal, however, in the 73rd after he pulled inside to evade the goalkeeper and a defender before blasting in.

Embolo set up an exciting finale when he scored in the 85th, but Martin Harnik killed the game with Bremen’s fourth in injury time.