Bundesliga: Schalke and Mainz in trouble as gap opens

The tunnel at Schalke's Veltin's Arena is designed in the style of a mine shaft at dark, rocky pathway descending towards the green glow of the pitch, literally a light at the end of the tunnel. But, as any miner in Gelsenkirchen will testify, the situation can deteriorate rapidly when so deep underground.

With half an hour remaining on Wednesday night, Schalke were level against Cologne thanks to Matthew Hoppe's fifth goal in three games and pushing for a winner which would have taken them within two points of the Billy Goats.

Just 11 days after ending their 30-game winless run, and boosted by the return of club stalwarts Sead Kolasinac and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, there was a flicker of light at the end of that tunnel. But that light was extinguished when Jan Thielman struck for Cologne in the third minute of injury time.

The Royal Blues are now eight points behind the Billy Goats in the relegation play-off place at the half way stage. And to make matters worse, Arminia Bielefeld also recorded an impressive 3-0 win over Stuttgart to leave Schalke 10 points adrift of automatic safety.

With games against high-flying Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig, Union Berlin and Borussia Dortmund to come in the next five, that faint glimmer of hope could soon have vanished for good.

Misery loves company

It will come as little solace to Schalke that they are not alone on the floor of the Bundesliga pit: Mainz 05 have performed just as desolately this season but have been spared much of the negative press, perhaps due to their smaller stature.

But the self-styled "zero-fivers" have become Bundesliga mainstays over the last decade and a half, earning promotion to the top-flight under Jürgen Klopp and establishing themselves there under Thomas Tuchel and, more recently, Martin Schmidt.

Now, that position is also under threat. The 1-1 draw away at Borussia Dortmund at the weekend may have attracted plaudits for Levin Öztunali's wonder strike and a battling defensive display, but it was a rare highlight in a dismal season in which Mainz have won just once.

Tuesday's 2-0 defeat to Wolfsburg continued that trend, and Mainz's upcoming schedule is just as punishing as Schalke's, as they face RB Leipzig, Union Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach in the next month.

Seven points adrift of the play-off spot, 10 points off automatic safety. Schalke and Mainz are stranded at the bottom of a deep, deep shaft, and the light at the end of the tunnel has never seemed further away.