Florian Wirtz scored in only 84 seconds as Bayer Leverkusen remained unbeaten for 38 games in all competitions with a 3-2 win in Freiburg on Sunday.
Leverkusen's seventh straight league win kept them 10 points ahead of Bayern Munich with eight games left as they pursue their first ever Bundesliga title.
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso said it was a good performance and a deserved victory, and praised playmaker Wirtz.
Alonso praised Wirtz's overall performance, not just his goal, saying he played very well and he's happy with his progress.
Wirtz, an important player for Leverkusen this season, started off the game stylishly by scoring with a great shot from the left, securing his seventh league goal of the season.
Freiburg, who had just been heavily defeated by West Ham in the Europa League, were surprised by the early goal, with Leverkusen set to face West Ham in the quarter-final next month.
Despite being dominated, Freiburg managed to respond with a goal by Ritsu Doan, assisted by Lucas Hoeler.
Leverkusen regained the lead before half-time, with Adam Hlozek scoring into an open net after a mistake by Freiburg goalkeeper Noah Atubolu.
Patrik Schick sealed another convincing win for Alonso’s team, with an impressive finish to a great Leverkusen counter-attack.
Jeremie Frimpong’s cross from the right was skillfully turned into the top corner by the Czech striker, who was the hero for Leverkusen with two late goals against Qarabag in Europe on Thursday.
Yannik Keitel scored one for Freiburg, but it was too late as the hosts remained in ninth place and saw their chances for European qualification slipping away.
In the weekend's final game, Borussia Dortmund secured a 3-1 win against Eintracht Frankfurt to stay one point ahead of RB Leipzig in the race for fourth place.
Dortmund, who defeated PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League last week, fell behind to a Frankfurt goal by Mario Goetze.
But the hosts responded with a goal from Karim Adeyemi before the break.
Mats Hummels' diving header from Julian Brandt's free-kick put Dortmund in the lead for the first time in the 81st minute, with Emre Can's penalty in stoppage time adding to the victory.
Hummels said, “We've won our last four games and go into the international break feeling much better than we did two weeks ago.”
Hummels added, “We're very satisfied to be in the Champions League quarter-finals, but in the Bundesliga, we're lagging behind.”
AFP