Schalke 04 midfielder Johannes Geis has admitted that it was a relief to halt a disappointing stretch of games by beating Hannover 3-1 on Friday night.

Goals from Geis, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Franco Di Santo secured the points as Andre Breitenreiter's side recovered from a run of five games without a victory in the Bundesliga to put pressure on their rivals for Champions League qualification.

"If we hadn't have won, we'd have gradually started to lose that connection," Geis, who returned to the side after a five-game ban, told reporters.

"The pressure was on. It's always on when you haven't won in five matches, but we sensed togetherness from the fans and within the team. The three points are what matter most, but it's always nice when you contribute to the win with a goal."

Schalke now switch their focus to Thursday's Europa League game against Asteras Tripolis.