Stuttgart beats Leipzig in vital push for top four

Deniz Undav found the net for Stuttgart with the match's lone goal, clinching a 1-0 victory over RB Leipzig at home on Sunday and lifting the fourth-placed side three points ahead of their opponents.

Undav seized a blunder by Leipzig custodian Maarten Vandevoordt to claim his 16th strike this term, drawing Stuttgart even with third-placed Hoffenheim on 50 points.

Bayer Leverkusen, who shared a 1-1 result with a Bayern Munich team down to nine players on Saturday, lag five points back from Stuttgart and two from fifth-placed Leipzig amid the fierce contest for Champions League spots next season. 

Stuttgart head to Porto for Europa League action on Thursday, hoping to reverse a 2-1 deficit from the opening leg and secure a quarter-final berth, their first since the 1989 showpiece. 

The opening period's clearest opening went to Christoph Baumgartner, Leipzig's leading goal-getter this campaign, yet the Austrian skied his effort high from a one-on-one spot against Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nuebel.

At 56 minutes, Vandevoordt's errant distribution fell straight to Chris Fuehrich of Stuttgart, who set up Undav to finish neatly and extend his scoring run to five games. 

Willi Orban of Leipzig nodded onto the post's inner side during added time, though Stuttgart stood firm to claim an important success. 

In other action, Jeong Woo-yeong netted deep into stoppage time, while debutant stopper Matheo Raab denied a dramatic chance for Union Berlin, who edged Freiburg 1-0 on the road. 

Union's initial away success of 2026 widened their margin to seven points above the relegation playoff position. 

With three 0-0 stalemates in their previous five clashes, this encounter appeared bound for a similar outcome before Woo-yeong's exquisite lofted shot pierced the thronged penalty area. 

Raab vaulted gracefully to block Jan-Niklas Beste's urgent bid in the 12th minute of extra time.

Mainz triumphed 2-0 away to Werder Bremen, surpassing the home side and building a three-point gap from the relegation playoff zone. 

A storied outfit risking a second drop in six years, Bremen captured their current plight as defender Marco Gruell appeared sidetracked by a pigeon strolling across the turf, enabling Mainz's rapid throw-in that led to Paul Nebel's fifth-minute effort. 

Lee Jae-Sung of Mainz struck once more after the interval, amplifying Bremen's difficulties and strengthening their own bid to stay up.