1. FFC Frankfurt bounced back from a UEFA Women's Champions League exit - and the news that Dzsenifer Marozsan would be leaving the club - in style.
Mandy Islacker and Kerstin Garefrekes had the hosts three up at the break, in what was a half to forget for FF USV Jena.
Emily van Egmond added another as the game wore down but Lucie Vonkova scored a superb consolation goal to give the visitors something to take hope from.
However, a header from Yuki Ogimi sealed an impressive 5-1 win.
Lightning start from Frankfurt
Frankfurt began the game in the best way possible. Marozsan got the ball down the left hand side and cut past her defender, moving inside while she went past her, before having a shot well-saved by Vanessa Fischer. Garefrekes picked up the rebound and set-up Islacker for an easy finish to open the scoring within the first minute.
Matt Ross' side didn't let up and continued to come forward with pace, power and precision. Unfortunately, the latter was lacking in the finishing department as Ogimi and Islacker both went close in quick succession. Jena threatened to break down the wings but the final ball was not quite there in the early stages.
Any respite for the visitors was brief and it took just 15 minutes for Frankfurt to add another. This time it was Ogimi out wide, bursting down the right and curling a wonderful cross towards the back post. Islacker was ready to pounce and rose unmarked to power a header back from where the ball came to make it 2-0 - Fischer was helpless.
Jena's Rückrunde form looked like a distant memory in the game, with Frankfurt buzzing across the pitch and forcing them to clear their lines with a hopeful long ball.
It was just that which proved to be their undoing for a third time, as Islacker flicked the ball high into the air. A high ball in the low sun was always going to be difficult, but Fischer came and didn't get anywhere near the ball and left Garefrekes with a simple headed finish. Further chances came and went, with Jena just happy to have half-time.
Both sides trade second-half strikes
At the break both sides made changes; Frankfurt brought on Julia Matuschewski for Islacker, while the visitors replaced Isabel-Jacome Silva with Jana Sedlackova. Normal service was resumed after the interval, and a goal-line clearance from the Jena defence prevented Garefrekes from grabbing her second.
After that, the 20 minutes that followed were reasonably quiet. That allowed Jena to work their way back into the game and threaten on a more regular basis. Julia Arnold flashed across goal, as did Ria Percival and Claudia van den Heiligenberg. Desireé Schumann - who signed a new deal on game day - remained untested, though.
Jena were made to pay for not taking their chances and Fischer's day went from bad to worse. An error in judgment from the young stopper try to take the ball past Marozsan. That proved to be a mistake and she gave up possession, with the ball falling kindly for van Egmond to slide into an open goal.
The one bright spark in the visitors' evening came in the final 10 minutes as a superb strike from Vonkova caught Schumann off guard and found the bottom corner. Frankfurt did find a fifth to heap further misery on Jena, however, as Ogimi headed home to cap a fine individual and team performance.
Frankfurt remained four points behind Wolfsburg with that win, though it looks as if second is out of their reach with to games remaining. Jena, remained 7th, one behind SC Freiburg and SGS Essen in fourth and fifth respectively.