Bayern Munich pulled eight points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga once again after winning 1-0 in Cologne with minimal effort.
Robert Lewandowski scored the only goal of the game in the 10th minute and that proved enough, without many more shots on goal, for Bayern to take maximum points.
Cologne defended well while also creating chances to level, but they had to accept defeat to Bayern for the second time this season.
Dortmund will have the chance to reduce the gap when they face Augsburg on Sunday.
Darmstadt underlined their reputation as a force on their travels by snatching a 1-1 draw at Wolfsburg, who now have their work cut out trying to qualify for the Champions League next season.
Sandro Wagner put the visitors in front eight minutes from time, scoring against the run of play but during a good spell for Dirk Schuster's side.
Andre Schurrle salvaged the Wolves a point, though, with his equaliser deep in stoppage time.
Hertha Berlin kept up their push for a place in next season's Champions League with a 2-1 win at home to Ingolstadt.
Genki Haraguchi and Salomon Kalou scored the goals for Pal Dardai's men, who moved four points clear of fourth-placed Schalke in the Bundesliga.
Lukas Hinterseer scored Ingolstadt's consolation as they remained in mid-table, six points above the drop zone.
Claudio Pizarro was on target again for Werder Bremen as they secured a 1-1 draw at home to Mainz.
Julian Baumgartlinger had given the visitors the lead in the 38th minute when he ghosted in unmarked to convert Yunus Malli's pass.
Baumgartlinger then went from hero to villain as he fouled Zlatko Junuzovic inside the penalty area, enabling Pizarro to draw level with Marco Bode as Bremen's all-time top-scorer with his 101st goal for the club.
Hoffenheim's resurgence under Julian Nagelsmann continued as they beat Hamburg 3-1 to boost their hopes of avoiding relegation.
Andrej Kramaric netted his fourth goal since joining Hoffenheim on loan in the winter to put the visitors in front from the penalty spot in the 20th minute, having earlier hit the crossbar with another effort.
Three minutes later, Kevin Volland doubled Hoffenheim's lead with a free kick from inside the penalty area after the referee adjudged Rene Adler had picked up a backpass.
The hosts, though, were gifted a route back into the game after half an hour when Pavel Kaderabek handled the ball in the area. Aaron Hunt converted from the spot, but Eduardo Vargas restored Hoffenheim's two-goal advantage midway through the second half.
Hoffenheim's win reduces the deficit on their hosts to four points and gives them a real chance of avoiding relegation, which was looking inevitable just months ago.
Niko Kovac's first home game as Eintracht Frankfurt coach ended in victory as Anis Ben-Hatira scored the only goal in a 1-0 win against fellow strugglers Hannover.
Kovac's second game in charge returned a first league win since January that moved Frankfurt level with Augsburg and Hoffenheim on 27 points, although they remain in the bottom two on goal difference.
But things continue to look bleak for Hannover, whose 12th defeat in 13 matches leaves them 10 points adrift at the bottom and needing a dramatic turn in their fortunes if they are to extend their stay in the top-flight to 15 years.