Dortmund open 10-point lead as Bayern lag behind

League leaders Borussia Dortmund took a big step towards their first Bundesliga title in nine years on Sunday as a 2-0 win over Nuremberg extended their lead at the top to 10 points.

In heavy snow, goals either side of half-time by Germany defender Mats Hummels and Poland striker Robert Lewandowski saw Dortmund, whose last league title came in 2002, pick up their 13th win of the season from 15 matches.

It leaves them on 40 points with a massive goal advantage while second-placed Mainz are on 30 points, but coach Jurgen Klopp is keeping his young team’s feet on the ground.

“I have never been able to, or even had to, consider the fight for the championship, so I don’t think it is relevant with so much of the season left to play,” he said.

“It is more important we keep playing well. Every game is like a final for us, the next game is always the most important for me.”

But Klopp, 43, could not resist a dig at defending champions Bayern Munich who have come to expect the Bundesliga title as their right having won 22 titles.

“There is no need to look further than that – after all, why would I want to talk like Bayern Munich?,” he said with a grin.

Bayern are now 17 points behind the leaders and their coach Louis van Gaal conceded his side may have already lost the title – five months before the end of the season.

Second-placed Mainz blew their chance to close the gap on Saturday as they suffered their fourth defeat in their last six games when they were beaten 2-1 by Eintracht Frankfurt.

Van Gaal says Mainz’s defeat has only served to strengthen Dortmund’s position.

“Lots might still happen but I think (Dortmund) are too far ahead,” van Gaal said after his Bavarian giants went down 2-0 at Schalke 04 to leave them seventh in the table.

“We had to win this match to put the pressure on Dortmund. But with us and (second-placed) Mainz losing, Dortmund aren’t feeling any pressure at all,” the Dutchman added.

Leverkusen stay third as goals by Patrick Helmes, Swiss midfielder Tranquillo Barnetta and defender Stefan Reinartz sealed Sunday’s win which leaves them just a point behind Mainz.

On Saturday, Real Madrid target Edin Dzeko fired a second-half penalty over the bar as Steve McClaren’s Wolfsburg were held to a goalless draw at home by Werder Bremen.

The striker is believed to be a Real target to replace the injured Gonzalo Higuain in the winter transfer window with German daily Bild claiming Madrid are ready to table 25 million euros (33.5 million US dollars) for the Bosnian.

But the 24-year-old, who has scored nine league goals this season, fired his penalty over the bar on 77 minutes just minutes after Bremen captain Torsten Frings had also missed a spot-kick with Wolfsburg goalkeeper Diego Benaglio making the save.

The result leaves Bremen 10th and Wolfsburg 13th after they suffered their fourth-straight league draw.

Hanover are fourth after they won 2-1 at bottom side Borussia Moenchengladbach, who were reduced to 10 men after Argentina’s Raul Bobadilla was sent off at the end of the first-half for kicking an opponent.

A bizarre goal by Freiburg’s Papiss Cisse after just three minutes sealed his side’s 1-0 win over Hamburg as the Senegal striker scored his 11th goal of the season when he hit both posts before finally stabbing the ball home.

VfB Stuttgart were held to a 1-1 draw by 10 man Hoffenheim.