Werder Bremen guaranteed themselves UEFA Champions League football next season with a 1-0 win at Hamburger SV but Bayer 04 Leverkusen continue to falter.
Bremen went into their game at Hamburg six points clear of their opponents and knew that a win would ensure a top-three finish with two games to spare. And they duly booked their ticket back to Europe's premier club competition next season thanks to Hugo Almeida's goal just after half-time. The match was always likely to be competitive with so much at stake and so it proved as Thomas Schaaf's side ended the game with nine men following the second-half dismissals of Frank Baumann and Jurica Vranješ.
The success moved Bremen back into second spot, after FC Schalke 04 had temporarily taken the slot last night with a 3-0 win at VfL Bochum 1848.

Sixth-placed Leverkusen have now taken just one point from four games as their UEFA Cup qualification bid was further derailed by a 2-1 setback at home to Hertha BSC Berlin. A first-half Marko Pantelic goal and a Sofian Chahed penalty midway through the second half did the damage, with a late own goal of little consolation for the home side, who also had Stefan Kiessling sent off.
VfL Wolfsburg are now level with Leverkusen on 48 points after their 3-2 win at Eintract Frankfurt. Edin Dzeko's late goal proved decisive after the hosts had twice come from behind. Elsewhere, champions FC Bayern München overcame DSC Arminia Bielefeld 2-0 with goals from Franck Ribéry and Lukas Podolski. The visitors are now just a point above the drop zone after 1. FC Nürnberg earned a crucial 2-0 win at home to MSV Duisburg.
Angelos Charisteas and Javier Pinola scored the goals to lift Nürnberg two points above their opponents.