AFP, BERLIN: A 30-metre rocket from Naldo fired Schalke 04 to a 2-0 victory over arch rivals Borussia Dortmund on Sunday and strengthened their grip on second place in the Bundesliga.

Naldo’s superb strike sent the blue half of the Ruhr region into raptures as Schalke recorded their first win over Dortmund since September 2014.

The Brazilian, who scored a last-minute equaliser in Schalke’s dramatic 4-4 draw with Dortmund earlier in the season, was the hero again on Sunday, as he secured three points for his side late in the second half.

Always a fiercely contested derby, there was even more at stake than usual in Sunday’s game, with just one point separating second-placed Schalke from third-placed Dortmund before kick-off.