Berlin, Feb 15 - Goals in each half from Joel Matip and Jefferson Farfan helped Schalke 04 secure a 2-0 victory over Cologne Sunday to maintain their challenge for the Bundesliga title.

In the day's other game, a last-minute goal from Halil Altintop helped Eintracht Frankfurt to a 2-1 victory over SC Freiburg.

Schalke's win in front of 61,000 fans at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen sees Felix Magath's side move onto 48 points after six wins at home in a row.

They are now within three points of leading pair Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, who both enjoyed wins Saturday against defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund, respectively.

Cologne, meanwhile, remain in 12th spot, a comfortable eight points above the relegation zone.

In a game of few chances, Schalke started the stronger with Benedikt Hoewedes the first to threaten on six minutes but his header sailed just wide.

Cologne failed to find any rhythm in the early stages with a Lukas Podolksi free-kick that was easily saved by Manuel Neuer the only shooting chance of note for the visitors.

Kevin Kuranyi headed over from an acute angle on 34 minutes as Schalke also struggled to open up Cologne before the home side eventually broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time through Matip.

Lukas Schmitz sent in a free-kick from the right which German Under-21 international Matip headed home from close range.

"It was a fantastic ball in from Lukas and I only had to touch it for it to go in," said Matip.

"What we have achieved is through hard work."

Cologne failed to threaten Neuer's goal a single time in the second half and Farfan finally put the match beyond Zvonimir Soldo's side with nine minutes remaining, slamming home his seventh goal of the season after fine build-up work down the right by Kuranyi.

"We haven't had that many goalscoring chances," admitted Magath.

"We have too young a team to celebrate a classic style of football. We have to accept that."

Freiburg remain in the middle of a relegation battle after losing away to Frankfurt.

Papiss Demba Cisse took full advantage of a handling error by Frankfurt goalkeeper Oka Nikolov on 25 minutes to make it 1-0 to the visitors but Benjamin Koehler equalized for Frankfurt five minutes before the break from a direct free-kick.

Frankfurt came close to securing all three points on 79 minutes but substitute Caio's long-distance effort came back off the post with Freiburg goalkeeper Simon Pouplin well beaten.

However, Michael Skibbe's side were not to be denied and Altintop netted a breakaway last-minute winner to leave Frankfurt seventh on 34 points, level with sixth-placed Werder Bremen.

Freiburg stay on 19 points, just two clear of third-from-bottom Hanover, who were hammered 5-1 by Bremen on Saturday. (dpa)