Substitute Jessic Ngankam scored the winner as Hertha Berlin took a significant step towards top-flight survival by beating relegated Schalke in their last remaining game in hand.

Schalke 1-2 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 1-0 Harit (6'), 1-1 Boyata (19'), 1-2 Ngankam (74')
Red card: Lukebakio (88')

Hertha carved out the first chance through Javairo Dilrosun, who blazed over from a tight angle following a bulldozing run from Mathew Leckie. Schalke went one better with their first attack as Amine Harit collected a pass from Sead Kolasinac, jinked past a couple of red shirts and fired an unerring finish into the bottom corner. True to the form books, the Royal Blues were pegged back with less than 20 minutes on the clock when Dedryck Boyata met Marvin Plattenhardt's in-swinging free-kick with a thunderous header. Krzysztof Piatek had a goal ruled out for a clear offside and Nemanja Radonjic tested Ralf Fährmann, before Klaas-Jan Huntelaar shot over in a momentary piece of Schalke respite.

Bundesliga debutant Blendi Idrizi returned fire for Schalke after the restart, but Hertha continued to dictate the contest as Radonjic sent an effort wide. Fährmann denied Piatek from another inch-perfect Plattenhardt set-piece, before a rare mistake from Boyata let in Huntelaar, whose shot on the stretch found the side netting. Boyata sought to atone for his error almost immediately, but the big Belgian could not beat Fährmann in a near-carbon copy of his first-half effort. Hertha's persistence was rewarded in the 74th minute, when Berlin-born Ngankam wriggled away from two Schalke defenders and thumped in Radonjic's cut-back. Dodi Lukebakio's sending off for two yellow cards set up a nerve-jangling finale as Shkodran Mustafi and Benito Raman struck the woodwork, but the capital club held on to move five points clear of the automatic drop zone - three above the relegation play-off spot - with two games to go.

Match stats

• Schalke are the first team to concede at least 80 Bundesliga goals in a single season since Hertha in 1990/91 (84).
• Idrizi became the 40th different player used by the Royal Blues in the Bundesliga this season - a record.
• Hertha's Jonas Michelbrink also made his Bundesliga debut.
• Schalke have conceded 20 headed goals this term - a record since data collection began in 2004/05.
• Hertha are enjoying a seven-match unbeaten run - only Mainz can top that (nine).
• Harit and Ngankam scored their second Bundesliga goals of the season.

Watch: Boyata: "Going to have to fight till the end"

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Line-ups

Schalke: Fährmann - Mustafi, Sane, Oczipka - Becker (Paciencia 90'), Idrizi (Skrzybski 77'), Flick, Kolasinac (c) - Harit - Huntelaar (Raman 77'), Hoppe
Unused subs: Rönnow, Ludewig, Raman, Ezeh, Schöpf, Pavlidis
Out: Aydin (ankle), Bentaleb (groin), Boujellab (ankle), Mascarell (hamstring), Mendyl (ankle), Nastasic (calf), Stambouli (jaw), Uth (suspended), William (knee)
Coach: Dimitrios Grammozis

Hertha: Schwolow – Pekarik, Boyata (c), Alderete, Plattenhardt  - Darida (Ascacibar 58'), Tousart – Leckie (Lukebakio 58'), Dilrosun (Michelbrink 76'), Radonjic (Torunarigha 89') - Piatek (Ngankam 58')
Unused subs: Körber, Stark, Torunarigha, Zeefuik, Löwen
Out: Cunha (ankle), Guendouzi (foot), Jarstein (match fitness), Khedira (calf), Mittelstädt (concussion), Netz (foot)
Coach: Pal Dardai

About the clubs

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