Borussia Dortmund did their hopes of possibly pipping Bayern Munich to the title no harm with an emphatic 5-1 win over VfL Wolfsburg.
Two goals in the opening 10 minutes set the tone for the afternoon, as Shinji Kagawa and Adrian Ramos got on the scoresheet.
Marco Reus added a third on the hour before two Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang strikes made it five, with André Schürrle managing to score a late consolation goal.
Early double gives Dortmund control
The pre-game plot had involved Mats Hummels' proposed move to Bayern Munich and while he got a very mixed reception, there were no doubts as to where the player's thoughts lay. Just seven minutes in and the deadlock was broken by Kagawa. A quick break saw Marcel Schmelzer with plenty of time to pick out Henrikh Mkhitaryan at the back post. The Armenian volleyed across goal, and his Japanese team-mate was on hand to divert the ball home.
A second followed moments later, with Ramos placing a strong shot beyond Diego Benaglio. A long ball forward into Marco Reus broke kindly for Kagawa, who did well to feed through BVB's Colombian forward. He made no mistake, powering home into the bottom corner as he lost his balance.
Wolfsburg responded with a chance of their own, as Marcel Schäfer made an impressive break from the back. His cross found Daniel Caligiuri at the back post, bringing the ball down and shifting inside with one swift movement. The winger took aim, only to see his shot cannon back off the bar. The final opening of the half came for Reus and the hosts as he rounded the roaming Benaglio but couldn't find the finish needed from a tight angle.
Three further strikes make for a comfortable win
Dortmund picked up where they left off and soon had a third. Some superb play around the edge of the area saw Kagawa work the ball to Sven Bender, who had a low shot saved by Benaglio. The Swiss stopper was up like a shot and produced an even better stop from the Japanese's rebound but Reus curled home at the third time of asking.
Three became four and then five through Aubameyang, who went close with a free-kick before getting his first goal of the afternoon. A raking pass from Gonzalo Castro into the path of Mkhitaryan allowed him to take his time to cross for the Gabonese forward, and he headed home from close range. One minute later, and a second header from Aubameyang notched up his 25th goal of the season. Schmelzer would take the credit for a well-timed ball into the box.
Wolfsburg would net a late consolation after a quick counter, and Max Kruse fed Schürrle to curl past the oncoming Roman Bürki. It proved too little, too late and the Wolves' chances of European football have been dashed. Conversely, the win and Bayern's draw means the title race is still on - but only just.