You can't fault Hoffenheim for lack of effort. But a bit of bad luck and an ill-advised foray by keeper Tim Wiese doomed them to a 2-1 defeat against Frankfurt. On the other side, the result solidified Cinderella Frankfurt's hold on fourth place.
Nothing less than the Champions League will do for the men in blue. But Schalke certainly didn't play like an elite European team this weekend. All Jefferson Farfan and company could get on their visit to relegation-threatened Augsburg was a goalless draw.
An own goal by their opponents and a strike by Patrick Herrmann within the first 15 minutes were all Borussia Mönchengladbach needed to take the points against Fortuna Düsseldorf. Had the Foals made more of their chances, the scoreline would have been a lot higher than just 2-1.
Mainz got an expected, easy 3-0 win against last-placed Greuther Fürth. Adam Szalai (right) bagged a brace in the match. That took his goal total for the season to eleven - exactly the number scored by the entire Fürth team. So no wonder they're bottom of the barrel and still winless at home while Mainz are vying for the European berths.
For Belgian defender Sebastien Pocognoli, this was a Bundesliga debut to forget. Hanover's new acquisition was sent off in minute 34 for getting his studs up too high. Somehow, though, Hanover managed to thwart Wolfsburg and Diego, bagging a more-than-fortunate 2-1 rearguard win.
Leverkusen had no joy in Freiburg. The hosts showed why they are one of the most difficult teams in Germany to beat, as they largely shut down second-placed Leverkusen's front line. Freiburg even had a couple of decent looks on goal themselves, but the match ended goalless.
Borussia Dortmund have a surfeit of weapons. On Friday, it was winger Jakub Blaszczykowski doing most of the damage, scoring twice. Dortmund eased their way to a 3-0 victory against their overmatched opponents. The defending champs have scored 8 and conceded none in 2013.
In this battle of traditional Northern German powerhouses, it was Hamburg celebrating a 3-2 win. The hosts were rather fortunate, though. Two of their goals probably should have been disallowed, and Bremen had a pair of players sent off.
Stuttgart hung tough against the table-toppers for fifty minutes. But then a defensive boo-boo sent striker Mario Mandzukic around keeper Sven Ulreich, and Stuttgart's goose was cooked. Munich won 2-0 and extended their lead in the standings to eleven points.
Bundesliga Round 19 in Pictures
