Bayern Munich, already crowned champions, set a new points record for a season in the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win over Freiburg and Werder Bremen were sucked closer to the relegation zone yesterday.
Xherdan Shaqiri’s first-half free-kick left treble-chasing Bayern with 84 points, three more than the previous record set by Borussia Dortmund last season, with three games of the 34-match campaign still to play.
Bayern made 10 changes from the team that started Tuesday’s 4-0 Champions League win over Barcelona as they clocked up their 27th victory in 31 league games and improved their goal difference to 76.
Werder Bremen went down to a controversial Stefan Kiessling penalty at third-placed Bayer Leverkusen, leaving the four-times champions only two points clear of the relegation play-off place after Augsburg beat Stuttgart 3-0.
Sascha Moelders, Marcel De Jong and South Korean Ji Dong-Won scored in the last half hour for 16th-placed Augsburg who have 30 points from 31 games.
Hoffenheim, who are 17th, also won, beating Nuremberg 2-1 to stay three points behind Augsburg.
Tobias Weis and Sejad Salihovic scored in the first half hour for Hoffenheim and Timmy Simons replied with a second-half penalty.
Wolfsburg beat Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1 in the afternoon’s other game after 18-year-old Maximilian Arnold opened the scoring with his third goal in five appearances.
Swiss winger Shaqiri continued his impressive debut season at Bayern by curling in a free-kick for the only goal against fifth-placed Freiburg, who have been the revelation team of the season.
It was Bayern’s 14th successive league win although the single goal was something of a letdown for a team who had blasted 20 goals in their last four matches in all competitions.
Werder went down in controversial circumstances when goalkeeper Sebastian Mielitz was judged to have fouled Sidney Sam in the 35th minute.
Sam was sent clean through and flicked his shot wide but the onrushing Mielitz clattered into him after the ball had gone.
The goalkeeper appeared to spread himself deliberately and raise his foot and the referee pointed to the spot after consulting the linesman.
Kiessling, repeatedly overlooked by Germany coach Joachim Loew despite his consistent scoring, converted the penalty for his 22nd goal of the season.