Third-placed Borussia Dortmund enjoyed a 5-1 romp at Werder Bremen, while runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich were left lamenting the Nuremberg pitch in their quest for perfection.
European champions Bayern remained 13 points clear in the Bundesliga as goals by Mario Mandzukic and captain Philipp Lahm sealed the Bavarian giants' 2-0 win to give them 56 out of a possible 60 points this season.
This was Bayern's 45th match without defeat in the Bundesliga, a run that dates back to October 2012, and their 29th game unbeaten away in the league after a rare win in Nuremberg on Saturday.
But Bayern did not have things all their own way, leaving coach Pep Guardiola to criticise the heavy Grundig Stadium that hampered Munich's dominant passing game.
"I quickly noticed why Bayern had only won once in six years at Nuremberg," Guardiola said.
"Nuremberg were aggressive and played very intensively; they had two or three clear chances.
"After we went 2-0 up, things got easier for us, but the pitch made things difficult and wasn't good for our possession and short-passing game.
"That is why we tried to put in more long balls, but our attitude was incredible."
The defeat dropped Nuremberg back into the bottom three.
Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a 1-0 win at Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday to stay second, while Dortmund, in third, dismantled Bremen as Poland striker Robert Lewandowski and attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan each scored twice.
"That was what we want to see every week and, hopefully, we will see again," Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp said.
"We were strong as a bear in our pressing and there is very little to complain about."
Having taken just four points in five games before the winter break, Dortmund finally produced the sort of attacking football that carried them to last season's Champions League final.
Holders Bayern and Dortmund play German Cup quarter-finals in midweek with Guardiola's side at Hamburg.
Dortmund are at Eintracht Frankfurt on Tuesday looking to book their place in the semi-finals, having won the title in 2012.
