Bayern Munich beat Cologne 2-0 at home on Saturday to delay Bayer Leverkusen's title party for at least another day and leave the second-bottom Billy Goats five points from absolute safety.
Raphaël Guerreiro's effort from distance on 65 minutes and Thomas Müller's late strike handed Bayern the win, but Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen will still clinch their first ever Bundesliga title if they win at home to Werder Bremen on Sunday.
That will give them an unassailable 16-point lead with only five matchdays left.
Third-placed VfB Stuttgart can move back level with Bayern if they beat Eintracht Frankfurt at home later on Saturday.
In the relegation battle, fourth-bottom Bochum and new coach Heiko Butscher drew 1-1 at home to Heidenheim after Keven Schlotterbeck scored at both ends.
Bochum nudged five points above Cologne, who were also hampered by third-bottom Mainz - in the relegation play-off spot - coming back to beat Hoffenheim 4-1 and go four points above Timo Schultz's side.
In the Champions League race, fourth-placed RB Leipzig beat Wolfsburg 3-0 at home thanks to Dani Olmo, Benjamin Šeško and Loïs Openda while 10-man Borussia Dortmund - on the same points in fifth - prevailed 2-1 at Borussia Mönchengladbach after Marcel Sabitzer's double.
Germany could end up with five entrants in next season's revamped Champions League depending on results in the remainder of the European season.
On Friday, Augsburg kept up their hopes of Europe next term with a 2-0 win over Union Berlin. Bottom side Darmstadt host Freiburg on Sunday.
