FC Schalke 04 can finally start planning their return to the Bundesliga after three years in the second tier. 1058 days after their fifth relegation, the Royal Blues took a major step towards promotion with a convincing 4:1 win over bottom-of-the-table Preußen Münster. Captain Kenan Karaman scored his 13th goal of the season, an own goal by Jannis Heuer, Adil Aouchiche scored on his debut, and Moussa Sylla secured the eleventh home win of the season for Miron Muslic's team. Shin Yamada scored for Münster. With four rounds to go, Schalke's lead over the relegation playoff spot increased to six points after their tenth consecutive game without a loss. In two weeks, on May 2, against Fortuna Düsseldorf, the Gelsenkirchen team could secure promotion. Schalke started furiously, with Karaman and Soufiane El-Faouzi narrowly missing the target with their shots. Then Münster defended more concentrated, Schalke suddenly struggled to find spaces - until Karaman headed in the 1:0 after a cross from Dejan Ljubicic. After a corner from Aouchiche, Heuer headed the ball into his own goal. At 3:0, Schenk made a mistake. Then Dzeko's replacement Sylla also scored. The previous day, pursuers Hannover 96 and SC Paderborn had shared the points with a 1:1 draw - and subsequently complained together. A point is too little for what we achieved today, said SC captain Felix Götze. Götze himself had put the guests in the lead, Benjamin Källman equalized. Today we wanted to win, but we didn't succeed, said 96 coach Christian Titz. Already on Friday, SV Elversberg had bounced back with a 3:0 win against Karlsruher SC after their 1:2 loss to Schalke, the Saarlanders now lie behind Paderborn in the relegation playoff spot. Greuther Fürth defeated SV Darmstadt 98 3:2, Noel Futkeu's hat-trick was too much for the Lilien. The ongoing weak phase in the final stretch makes Darmstadt 98's promotion to the Bundesliga increasingly unlikely. The Lilien lost despite taking the lead twice and have now gone five games without a win. Futkeu scored three times for the Franken, who celebrated an important win in the battle for survival. Darmstadt has not won away from home since November 2025. The Hessen have a five-point deficit to the relegation playoff spot, the goals from striker Isac Lidberg and substitute Yosuke Furukawa were not enough. It's completely clear, it's crucial for us to get three points - then we'll still have something in our own hands, said Darmstadt coach Florian Kohfeldt before the game. Both teams