Nigeria striker Anthony Ujah netted his tenth goal of the season and Germany's Jonas Hector produced some individual brilliance on Sunday to seal 10-men Cologne's 3-2 win over Hoffenheim.
Mid-table Cologne are now six points away from the relegation places after Ujah calmy converted Japan international Yuya Osako's defence-splitting pass on 54 minutes after Matthias Lehmann had converted Cologne's first-half penalty.
Cologne were reduced to ten men when Pawel Olkowski was shown a straight red for hauling down Hoffenheim striker Anthony Modeste, who was through on goal, and Eugen Polanski drilled home Hoffenheim's resulting penalty on 70 minutes.
Hector settled the tie with a superb individual goal after dribbling around four defenders on 78 minutes before Modeste scored Hoffenheim's second with a late header.
On Saturday, Robert Lewandowski scored twice as injury-hit Bayern Munich romped to a 3-0 league win over Eintracht Frankfurt ahead of Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final at Porto.
Despite having only four fit players on the bench, Bayern dominated at Munich's Allianz Arena and are three wins from claiming a third straight German league title.
Lewandowski, the Bundesliga's top-scorer last season, now has 16 goals for the season and is third in the current rankings.
Frankfurt were missing the league's top scorer with Alexander Meier, who has 19 goals in 26 matches, suffering from a knee injury.
Centre-back Medhi Benatia, who has a groin injury, joined flu-victim Bastian Schweinsteiger, plus Jerome Boateng, wingers Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and left-back David Alaba on Bayern's casualty list.
Despite their woes, Bayern needed 15 minutes to take the lead when Lewandowski produced a superb turn and volley, then headed home, with suspicion of offside, on 66 minutes.
Thomas Mueller added the third eight minutes from time when he fired home from a seemingly-impossible angle.
- Hamburg players brawl -
Second-placed Wolfsburg remain ten points behind Bayern and on course for the Champions League next season after their 2-0 win at 10-men Hamburg.
Goals either side of half-time by defensive midfielder Josuha Guilavogui and right winger Daniel Caligiuri sealed Wolves' win.
Hamburg had Swiss defender Johan Djourou, who brawled with team-mate Valon Behrami in the dressing room at half-time, sent off for a second yellow card in the dying stages.
Borussia Moenchengladbach picked up their fourth straight league win with an impressive 3-1 victory over Borussia Dortmund to stay third in the table.
Tenth-placed Dortmund went behind after just 29 seconds as Patrick Herrmann's shot was blocked by Borussia's Roman Weidenfeller, but Sweden left-back Oscar Wendt slammed home the parry.
Brazilian forward Raffael addded their second on 32 minutes before Norway's Havard Nordveit fired home when left unmarked at the far post with 67 minutes gone before Ilkay Gundogan pulled a late goal back for Dortmund.
- Leverkusen sack Spahic -
Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a 3-2 win over Mainz, 24 hours before sacking Bosnia international Emir Spahic, who is being investigated by police for allegedly assaulting a club steward.
South Korea striker Son Heung-Min opened the scoring with 15 minutes gone and Stefan Kiessling added a second early in the second-half.
Dead-ball specialist Hakan Calhanoglu added their third when he drilled home a 73rd-minute free-kick, but Mainz pulled a goal back when South Korea international Koo Ja-Cheol converted two late penalties.
The win leaves Leverkusen fourth in the battle for one of the Bundesliga's three automatic Champions League places for next season.
Fifth-placed Schalke are now 10 points adrift of a Champions League place for next season after their goalless draw with relegation-threatened Freiburg.
Augsburg stay sixth despite their shock 2-1 defeat at Paderborn, who remain in the relegation places.
Source: AFP
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