Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund got second half goals from supersub Paco Alcacer and Lukasz Piszczek to edge past Mainz 05 2-1 on Saturday and open up a seven-point gap.
Their seventh win in the last eight league games lifted them to 30 points, seven ahead of second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
Champions Bayern Munich are fifth on 21 points after a 3-3 draw against promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf.
Spaniard Alcacer, whom Borussia Dortmund agreed to sign permanently from FC Barcelona on Friday, snatched his ninth goal of the campaign in the 66th minute, two minutes after coming on.
He now leads the goalscorers’ list in the Bundesliga.
Eight of those goals have come in substitute appearances.
Borussia Dortmund’s joy did not last long with Mainz’s Robin Quaison levelling four minutes later.
The leaders stayed focused and kept up the pressure until defender Piszczek curled in a shot from the edge of the box in the 76th minute to secure the three points.(Reuters/NAN)