Gregoritsch doubles up against Schalke to send Freiburg 3rd
A first-half brace from Michael Gregoritsch lifted Freiburg up to third in the Bundesliga after a 4-0 victory at home against struggling Schalke.
Freiburg leapfrogged Union Berlin and RB Leipzig in their pursuit of a first Champions League appearance, but both chasing sides have a chance to reclaim their spots later on Sunday.
Gregoritsch scored after just seven minutes, tapping home after a perfectly-weighted Ritsu Doan assist.
The Austrian used his head to double Freiburg's lead late in the first half, glancing in a cross from defender Christian Guenter.
Doan was again the creative force early in the second half for Freiburg's third, pushing past several defenders to find Gregoritsch in the box.
He then threaded the ball through for Lucas Hoeler, who blasted at Schalke goalkeeper Alexander Schwolow.
Schwolow failed to properly grasp the effort, allowing the ball to trickle into goal for Freiburg's third.
Freiburg defender Matthias Ginter added a fourth with eight minutes remaining to complete the rout.
Schalke, who went eight games unbeaten early in 2023, have now lost three of their past four.
The Royal Blues, a traditional German football giant, are in grave danger of being relegated straight back to the second division.
They sit second from bottom and three points from safety, with five rounds of the season remaining.
Later on Sunday, RB Leipzig can move back into the top four with a win at Bayer Leverkusen.
Union Berlin can keep their unlikely bid for a first Champions League appearance alive when they visit Borussia Moenchengladbach.