An own goal by Timo Rost on the hour paved the way for Schalke's 2-0 against Energie Cottbus, with Marcelo Bordon adding the second four minutes later.

Schalke have 62 points to retain a two-point lead over Werder Bremen (60), who briefly climbed to the top from a 3-1 Friday victory against lowly Alemannia Aachen.

"It will remain tight until the end," warned Schalke coach Mirko Slomka.

VfB Stuttgart have 58 points after an impressive 2-0 against the ailing champions Munich, who remained on 53 points and -- with only four rounds left -- are in serious danger of not playing in the lucrative Champions League for the first time since 1996.

The top two finishers gain direct entry into the elite event, the third-placed team enters the qualifying round, the fourth and fifth- placed sides have to be content with a place in the UEFA Cup.

Diego stuns

Bremen's win -- with a stunning injury-time strike from playmaker Diego from inside his own half rounding it off -- seemed to have rattled Schalke who had lots of trouble against the feared Cottbus defense.

Fabian Ernst was denied by goalkeeper Tomislav Piplica, and Schalke then called in vain for a penalty late in the first half when Dario Rodriguez appeared to have been brought down.

Rost almost scored for Cottbus in the 53rd when his intended cross hit the crossbar, and his bad luck was complete when he tapped Hamit Altintop's cross into his own net seven minutes later for Schalke's lead.

Schalke remained on course towards their first title in 49 years when Bordon's header for 2-0 in the 64th assured them of victory.

"Cottbus made life difficult for us. I told my players to be patient and we managed to create more pressure in the second half," said Slomka.

Munich out of the race


In Stuttgart, the opening goal in the 23rd minute reflected Munich's miserable campaign (by their standard). Defender Christian Lell tried to clear in his area, but the ball hit Stuttgart forward Cacao, of whose body it bounced into the net.

Cacao doubled the lead two minutes later for the cup finalists Stuttgart, tapping in a cross from Sami Khedira.

The Brazilian striker could have easily scored more goals within the next minutes against a crumbling Munich defense, aiming inches wide in the 28th and denied by the crossbar in the 32nd.

"We are fourth and it is our own fault," said Munich midfielder Mark van Bommel after the team's ninth season defeat.

Elsewhere, struggling Borussia Dortmund got a vital 1-0 away win at Hertha Berlin from a 49th-minute header by Markus Brzenska.

Bayer Leverkusen leapfrogged cup-finalists Nuremberg for fifth place by beating them 2-0 from a double by Germany midfielder Bernd Schneider.

VfL Bochum won 3-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt and Arminia Bielefeld got a lifeline with a 3-2 win at VfL Wolfsburg.

Mönchengladbach in trouble

Meanwhile on Sunday, SV Hamburg twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against visiting Mainz who remain deep in trouble near the foot of the Bundesliga.

The point, following four successive defeats, was not enough for Mainz who are second from bottom, two points adrift of fellow strugglers Alemannia Aachen and Arminia Bielefeld.

However the relegation battle remains dramatic, with only five points between Mainz and 10th placed Hamburg with four matches of the season remaining.

Bottom club Borussia Mönchengladbach's fate now looks sealed after a 1-0 defeat at Hanover which leaves them eight points adrift of Mainz.