Bayern Munich ground out a hard-fought 2-0 victory over bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday to end the champions' three-game winless streak in the Bundesliga.
Claudio Pizarro broke the deadlock in the 75th minute, when Mario Goetze sent the Peruvian through, and Mario Mandzukic secured the win with four minutes remaining as the home side pushed for an equalizer.
Bayern failed to impress for long periods, however, and did little to boost confidence for Wednesday's Champions League semifinal first leg at Real Madrid.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund secured Champions League football next season by defeating visiting Mainz 4-2, and Freiburg took a giant step in its fight against relegation by beating Borussia Moenchengladbach by the same score.
Werder Bremen came from behind to beat Hoffenheim 3-1 and end its relegation fears, while Augsburg drew 0-0 with Hertha Berlin.
Hamburger SV was hosting Wolfsburg later.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola started arguably his strongest available side to fine tune for the trip to Madrid.
Thomas Mueller and Mandzukic were the only prominent names on the bench, while regular goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and his substitute Tom Starke were both injured, giving 20-year-old Lukas Raeder his first league start in goal.
Braunschweig had bigger worries with top-scorer Domi Kumbela injured and defender Ermin Bicakcic suspended.
Nevertheless, the home side frustrated the visitors for long periods through determined tackling, constant running and a clear desire to avoid an immediate return to the second division.
The effort eventually took its toll as players tired and Guardiola swung the game in Bayern's favor in the 73rd, with the introduction of Mueller and Mandzukic for Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
Despite TV replays showing he may have been offside when receiving the ball, Goetze unlocked the Braunschweig defense for Pizarro to hammer the ball under the crossbar.
A long kick out from Raeder allowed Mandzukic to seal the win with his 18th goal of the season. Only Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski, who will replace or challenge the Croat for a starting place next season, has as many goals.
The Poland striker scored again against Mainz as Dortmund assured itself of at least third place.
Milos Jojic got Dortmund underway in the sixth minute with a 20-meter (yard) shot that took a deflection from Oliver Kirch's right hand. TV replays showed the Dortmund defender tried to take his arm out of the way.
Shinji Okazaki equalized with another deflected effort in the 14th, but Lewandowski restored the home side's lead four minutes later, when Henrikh Mkhitaryan set him up to finish coolly.
Okazaki intercepted an inexplicable back-pass from Nuri Sahin to equalize again in the 54th, but Lukasz Piszczek made it 3-2 three minutes later, with a backward header from Marco Reus' free kick.
Reus then secured the result from the penalty spot in the 79th, after Niko Bungert was sent off for blocking Lewandowski's goalward shot with his arm.
Reus also struck the post in both halves from free kicks.
Freiburg denied Moenchengladbach the chance to go provisionally fourth, with the game turning after Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann saved Filip Daems' penalty and Moenchengladbach midfielder Granit Xhaka was sent off for his second booking with the score still 1-1.
Freiburg defender Oliver Sorg scored with a 25-meter (yard) rocket to the top corner in the 71st, Vladimir Darida made it 3-1 one minute later, and Admir Mehmedi grabbed his second in the 87th.
Havard Nordtveit claimed 'Gladbach's consolation in the 89th.