Bayern Munich sent a warning Real Madrid's way with a 5-2 win over Werder Bremen at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Despite going behind twice to goals from Theodor Gebre Selassie and Aaron Hunt, cancelled out by Franck Ribery and Claudio Pizarro respectively, Bayern cruised to an easy victory as they warmed up in style for the second leg of their Champions League semi-final in midweek.
Pizarro added Bayern's third before Bastian Schweinsteiger and Arjen Robben completed the rout, with Bayern having put 12 goals past Bremen home and away this season.
Wolfsburg's hopes of playing in the Champions League next season suffered a setback as they were held to a 2-2 draw at home by Freiburg, who practically secured their top-flight status.
Ivan Perisic scored twice for the Wolves, but Admir Mehmedi and Marco Terrazzino replied for Christian Streich's men, who will be guaranteed their place in the Bundesliga next season if Hamburg fail to win at Augsburg on Sunday.
Bayer Leverkusen failed to take full advantage of Wolfsburg's slip-up at home to Freiburg as they were held to a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund which gives them only a slender advantage in the race for fourth.
All the goals came in the first half as Lars Bender gave the home team the lead, but Oliver Kirch levelled for second-place Dortmund.
Gonzalo Castro restored Leverkusen's advantage but a Marco Reus penalty denied them maximum points and kept the race for the Bundesliga's fourth Champions League berth wide open going into the final two weekends of the season. Leverkusen lead Wolfsburg by one point.
Mainz closed in on Europa League qualification and pushed Nuernberg a step closer to relegation with a 2-0 win at the Coface Arena.
Shinji Okazaki became the most prolific Japanese player in a single Bundesliga season as he put Thomas Tuchel's men in front after half an hour with his 15th goal of the campaign, and Christoph Moritz added a second to seal the points.
Eintracht Braunschweig's survival hopes were left hanging by a thread as they fell to a 2-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin.
Goals from John Anthony Brooks and Sami Allagui ensured victory for Hertha to consolidate their 11th place in the standings while leaving Braunschweig now certain of a finish inside the bottom three.
That means the only way Torsten Lieberknecht's men can now survive is by finishing 16th and earning a playoff against the side who finish third in the 2. Bundesliga, and two wins out of two are likely to be required for that to be possible.
Hoffenheim drew a rare blank in a goalless draw with Eintracht Frankfurt at the Rhein-Neckar Arena.
Hoffenheim, who have scored fewer only than Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga this season, and conceded more than any other side in the top flight, had the best chance to win the game late on when Roberto Firmino had a penalty saved.
They ended the game with 10 men, though, when Anthony Modeste was shown a straight red card with just five minutes remaining.
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