André Hahn was the star of the show as Borussia Mönchengladbach beat Bundesliga rivals Schalke in a game that involved three goals in six minutes.
It took Mönchengladbach just 17 minutes to find the back of the net, with a goal from Hahn, before the 24-year old added another just after the break to make it 2-0. Schalke grabbed a goal back just a minute later through Maxim Choupo-Moting's penalty before Max Kruse marked his return to the squad with a goal.
Lucien Favre made three changes to the team that drew 0-0 in Freiburg. German international, Kruse returned to the starting lineup, in place of Branimir Hrgota. Whilst Álvaro Dominguez and Fabian Johnson both returned to the squad in place of Julian Korb and Ibrahima Traoré.
The visiting side made five changes to the team that earned a 1-1 draw against Bayern Munich. Julian Draxler and Max Meyer both dropped to the bench in place of Christian Clemens and Kevin-Prince Boateng. Whilst there were also starts for Christian Fuchs, Dennis Aogo and Roman Neustädter who replaced Felipe Santana, Joël Matip and Jan Kirchoff.
Mönchengladbach's first real chance came after 11 minutes following a move started by Fabian Johnson. The World Cup star crossed the ball from the left to the far post to an unmarked Hahn who was denied by a last ditch tackle from Schalke captain, Benedikt Höwedes.
Raffael nearly got on the score sheet against his former club with 16 minutes played, but the Brazilian was denied by a great save from Raphael Fährmann.
Just a minute later and Mönchengladbach had the ball in the back of Schalke's net, due a brilliantly goal, much to the delight of the home fans. Hahn caused havoc with a run from deep, losing the Schalke defence to find himself open, before biding his time to pick a spot firing the ball in to the roof of Fährmann's net.
Choupo-Moting nearly equalised for Schalke after 26 minutes, however the Cameroon international was denied by Yann Sommer, before Fuchs fired the rebound well wide of the goal.
A succession of corners on the half hour mark nearly earned Mönchengladbach their second of the game, before the ball fell to World Cup winner Christoph Kramer whose deflected shot drifted just the wrong side of the post.
An action packed two minutes came after the restart, Raffael nearly had the ball in the back of the net after 51 seconds before Choupo-Moting rounded Sommer at the other end only for the Switzerland keeper to be successful in reclaiming the ball on his second attempt.
Two minutes later and Hahn had the ball in the net on a second occasion to make it 2-0. An indirect costless-kick, taken by Kruse, found Hahn in the box who headed the ball beyond Fährmann, as the Schalke defence didn't pick up their men.
Schalke attacked straight from the restart, with the ball down the other end, Martin Stranzl deliberately handled the ball giving away a penalty. Up stepped Choupo-Moting to slot the ball past Sommer to make it 2-1.
Raffael then released Kruse to cap off his magnificent return to the squad with a goal after 56 minutes. The 26-year old found himself one-on-one with Fährmann and the German was never in doubt of finding the back of the net from just inside the penalty area.
The Brazilian, Raffael, then added more misery on Jens Keller and Schalke as he scored Mönchengladbach's fourth of the game. Unmarked in the penalty area, the 29-year old scored against his former club, before forcing another save from Fährmann just seconds later.
The result now leaves Schalke in 16th place whilst Mönchengladbach are in fifth, just a point behind Borussia Dortmund who today beat SC Freiburg 3-1.