Bundesliga: Schalke's winless run continues in draw against Union Berlin; Wolfsburg beat Werder Bremen

Berlin: Four more Bundesliga teams took a knee before their games on Sunday, as Schalke 04 managed to secure a draw against Union Berlin on Sunday but equalled a club record by going 12 consecutive league games without a win, while Werder Bremen's fight against relegation hit a road bump in the shape of Wolfsburg.

Borussia Dortmund and Hertha Berlin first kneeled ahead of their game Saturday in an anti-racism gesture following mass protests against police brutality and racism across the United States over the killing of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man, in Minneapolis on 25 May.

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Schalke, who were battling for a Champions League spot midway through the season, have now failed to win since 17 January and stayed in 10th place on 38 points. Union climb up to 13th on 32.

Schalke's Juan Miranda, left, fights for the ball with Union's Anthony Ujah during the German Bundesliga football match between 1. FC Union Berlin and FC Schalke 04. AP

The hosts got off to a strong start and had carved out three good chances before Robert Andrich was sent clear by Anthony Ujah in the 11th minute to beat keeper Alexander Nubel.

Union still had Schalke on the backfoot when the visitors equalised against the run of play thanks to a low drive from Everton’s on-loan full-back Jonjoe Kenny.

Schalke’s Nuebel came to the rescue in the 87th, denying Keven Schlotterbeck from point-blank range.

Relegation-threatened Werder continue poor run of form

Wolfsburg took a step toward the Europa League and Werder Bremen moved closer to a historic relegation from the Bundesliga as Wolfsburg won their meeting 1-0 on Sunday.

Both teams' players kneeled around the centre circle before the start in an anti-racism gesture following the protests across the United States.

Bremen's Japanese forward Yuya Osako, Wolfsburg's Croatian defender Marin Pongracic and Wolfsburg's Austrian midfielder Xaver Schlager , from left,vie for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg. AP

They were heading for a largely uneventful 0-0 draw in torrential rain before the 82nd minute, when Wolfsburg's substitute winger Felix Klaus curled in a cross from the right and Wout Weghorst met it with a bouncing header into the Werder goal.

The result leaves Werder, last a German champion in 2009, in 17th place and facing relegation. That would mean only their second season outside the top division since the Bundesliga was founded.

Werder haven't won at home in the league since 1 September. They are six points off safety and three off Fortuna Düsseldorf in the relegation playoff spot. Wolfsburg climb above Hoffenheim into sixth place and a Europa League spot.

Cologne denied away win

Cologne's Anthony Modeste thought he'd given his team its first win since the Bundesliga restart when he volleyed the ball in from the edge of the box against Augsburg in the 85th minute, away from home.

It wasn't to be as Philipp Max tapped in a cross at the far post to earn a 1-1 draw in the 88th. Cologne is 12th and Augsburg 13th.

With inputs from AP and Reuters.