Werder Bremen beat Energie Cottbus 2-0 on Saturday to strengthen their grip on second place in the Bundesliga and leave Bayern Munich on the brink of their 21st league title.
Werder’s victory left them nine points behind leaders Bayern with three games left to play.
Bayern have a big advantage in goal difference but to be mathematically sure of the title they need a point from their final four matches, starting away to VfL Wolfsburg yesterday.
If they claimed at least a draw from that game, they would be celebrating their 20th title since the Bundesliga era began in 1963 and their 21st of all time, including their first German championship success in 1932.
It would also be a third domestic double in four seasons, after their Cup final victory over Borussia Dortmund last month.
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge insisted only a miracle could prevent Bayern being crowned Bundesliga winners.
“It would take something more than the seven wonders of the world for us to lose the championship now,” Bayern chairman of the board Rummenigge said.
Third-placed Schalke 04 saw their hopes of claiming second fade when they were held 1-1 at home to Hanover 96.
Arnold Bruggink’s free kick put Hanover ahead in the eighth minute and Schalke needed a fine equalizer from Halil Altintop to claim a point.
Hamburg SV and VfB Stuttgart stayed in the hunt for the third and final Champions League place after commanding wins.
Hamburg won 3-1 away to Hansa Rostock with two goals from Ivica Olic and one from Rafael van der Vaart, while outgoing champions Stuttgart strolled to a 4-1 victory at home to Eintracht Frankfurt.
They now have 51 points apiece in fourth and fifth respectively.
Werder long since gave up on the title, and coach Thomas Schaaf was simply pleased to put two points worth of daylight between his own team and Schalke in third.
Schaaf’s side were in charge from the beginning but it was only in the second half that they created clear chances.
Markus Rosenberg’s 67th minute opener finally meant they could relax and Hugo Almeida got the second with 11 minutes to go, tapping in at the far post.
In a mid-table battle, Hertha Berlin beat Karlsruhe 3-1 and Arminia Bielefeld helped their precarious league position with a 2-0 win over VfL Bochum.
On Friday, Nuremberg did little to ease their relegation woes with a 0-0 draw at Dortmund.
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