Bayern Munich held on to return to the top of the Bundesliga with a 2-1 win at Stuttgart, which dropped into the relegation zone on Saturday.
Matthijs de Ligt and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting scored for Bayern to move back ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference.
Dortmund has clawed back a nine-point deficit before the winter break by winning every game since to reinvigorate the title race, reports AP.
Union Berlin remained third, five points behind the big two, by drawing with visiting Cologne 0-0.
Bayern was forced to defend late on when Juan José Perea pulled one back in the 88th, but Tanguy Coulibaly missed Stuttgart’s best chance to equalize in injury time.
De Ligt proved the difference between the sides in the first half, producing a goal-line clearance to deny Konstantinos Mavropanos, then breaking the deadlock with a speculative effort from distance in the 40th.
Stuttgart ’keeper Fabian Bredlow should have stopped the Dutch defender’s shot, but he had already shown his prowess with two big saves to deny Leon Goretzka. Silas Katompa Mvumpa twice went close for Stuttgart.
Source: Bahrain News Agency