The second division club Hamburger SV celebrated a statement victory in the race for promotion to the Bundesliga thanks to match winner Sonny Kittel.
In the top game on Saturday, HSV defeated 1. FC Heidenheim 2-0 (0-0), Kittel (63rd and 78th minute, penalty kick) scored twice.
The Hanseatic League advanced to second place with 40 points and clinched their third win in a row.
Meanwhile, 1. FC Nürnberg missed the leap to the promotion ranks.
Despite a 1-0 lead, the Franconians suffered a bitter 4-1 (1-1) defeat at Karlsruher SC.
The “Club” has now lost two games in a row and with 33 points is six points behind Darmstadt 98 in relegation place three.
Dynamo Dresden got an important upward point in the fight for staying in the class.
The Saxons fought a goalless draw at SC Paderborn but are without a win in five games.
The distance to relegation place 16 increased to five points for Dynamo, who was twelfth in the table.
The East Westphalia could not win the third game in a row.
In Hamburg, meanwhile, there was a party atmosphere.
When he was substituted in the 83rd minute, Kittel was greeted with frenetic applause from the spectators.
The gap to leaders Werder Bremen is only one point.
HSV striker Robert Glatzel, who last scored four goals in Darmstadt, went away empty-handed this time.
In the Karlsruhe wildlife park, Philipp Hofmann (39th/59th), Benjamin Goller (54th) and Marvin Wanitzek (90th, penalty kick after video evidence) shot the hosts to victory, for KSC it was the first in four games.
Johannes Geis (29th) put Nuremberg, who had lost 5-0 to FC Ingolstadt the day before, in the lead with a remarkable free kick from 30 meters.