Schalke scored four second-half goals to come from 2-0 down and seal a 4-2 victory at Mainz yesterday, rounding off a day to remember after striker Raul had earlier committed his future to the club.

Raul said he will see out his contract, which expires in June 2012, ending rumours he was set to quit last season’s Champions League semi-finalists.

“I will definitely stay at Schalke and I will fulfil my contract,” said the 34-year-old.

Schalke’s win took them to third in the table and denied Mainz a third straight victory and top spot.

Mainz looked to have wrapped up the three points in the first half as Austria striker Andreas Ivanschitz and Colombia midfielder Elkin Soto scored within the opening 12 minutes before Schalke netted four goals without reply.

“Even if it sounds stupid, we only started playing well after we did nothing in the first half an hour,” said Schalke coach Ralf Rangnick.

“We were unemotional and lethargic, but the team produced a reaction and were rewarded for it.”

Having conceded four goals in 33 minutes, Mainz goalkeeper Heinz Mueller was far from amused.

“If you dominate a game and lead 2-0, then you have to win the match. There can be no excuse.”

Schalke roared back as Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar netted on 57 minutes, after a selfless pass from Raul, and then captain Benedikt Hoewedes scored with a superb far-post header seven minutes later.

The Royal Blues kept up the pressure and were rewarded when Joel Matip headed his side into the lead for the first time on 81 minutes.

Austria left-back Christian Fuchs slammed home a free-kick nine minutes later.

Hanover went second in the table behind surprise early leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach despite being held 1-1 at home by Hertha Berlin.

A free-kick from midfielder Sergio Pinto on 33 minutes put Hanover ahead before Hertha teenager Pierre-Michel Lasogga equalised in the 83rd minute.

Hanover were refused a late winner after defender Christian Pander drilled a long-range free-kick into the Hertha net, but referee Robert Hartmann refused to let the goal stand, even though no offside was flagged.

M’gladbach, who hammered Wolfsburg 4-1 on Friday, stay top by virtue of goal difference, while Bayern Munich are third after Saturday’s 5-0 hammering of Hamburg as champions B. Dortmund earned a 2-0 victory over Nuremberg.

Standings
B. M’gladbach, Hannover 7; B. Munich, Schalke, W. Bremen, B. Dortmund, Mainz, Hoffenheim, B. Leverkusen 6; Stuttgart 4; Wolfs-burg, Nuremberg 3; Augsburg, H. Berlin, Kaiserslautern 2; Freiburg, Hamburg, Cologne 1.