Soccer-Schalke slump to fifth straight defeat of the season

* Schalke lost first five matches of the season

* Hoffenheim end a run of four successive draws

BERLIN, Sept 25 ( Reuters) - Schalke 04 slumped to their fifth straight Bundesliga defeat when they lost 2-1 at Hoffenheim on Sunday, making it their worst-ever start to a season.

A mistake by Schalke midfielder Nabil Bentaleb set up Lukas Rupp's 40th minute winner for Hoffenheim who themselves had drawn their opening four matches.

Schalke, the only team who are pointless after five games, got off to a the perfect start when Breel Embolo raced past two defenders and crossed for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to head in after four minutes.

But Schalke, who have not finished outside the top six since 2010-11, handed the initiative back to the hosts who levelled with a powerful header by Andrej Kramaric in the 17th minute.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar headed against the post for Schalke but Hoffenheim went ahead five minutes before the break.

Kerem Demirbay pounced on a poor Bentaleb pass, burst forward and laid the ball off for Rupp to slide in at the far post. (Writing by Brian Homewood, editing by Pritha Sarkar)