VfL Wolfsburg crushed visitors Freiburg 6-0 with three goals in each half as the Bundesliga restarted on Saturday after a two-month World Cup and winter break.
Jonas Wind struck twice following Patrick Wimmer's second-minute opener, with Yannick Gerhardt adding another early in the second half to seal their fifth straight league victory.
Baku Ridle rattled in another in the 80th minute before a stoppage time Luca Waldschmidt penalty completed the demolition job.
The win lifted Niko Kovac's team to sixth place on 26 points while Freiburg, who had won four of their previous five Bundesliga matches, dropped to fourth place on 30, alongside third-placed Union Berlin. It was also Freiburg's heaviest league loss since coach Christian Streich took over 11 years ago.
"Six nil against the second team in the standings is a bit surreal," Kovac, whose team are unbeaten since September, said. "We played good football against a difficult team. But we will not go crazy now. It was good but we must keep repeating it."
"Let's enjoy it today and focus on our next game from tomorrow morning."
Eintracht Frankfurt, winners 3-0 over Schalke 04, moved into second place on goal difference, also on 30 points, while Bayern Munich, on 35 points, extended their lead despite drawing 1-1 at RB Leipzig on Friday.
They also made sure of becoming unofficial "autumn champions", the top team at the midway stage, ahead of their 17th league match next week.
The Wolves got off to the dream start when Wimmer slotted in from 14 metres after only two minutes.
They doubled their lead in the 28th with Wind's close-range header before the 23-year-old Dane struck again, turning a cutback in to make it 3-0 in the 37th.
Freiburg's backline was already in complete disarray when they lost possession once more in the 56th, allowing Wolfsburg to launch a quick passing move and Gerhardt to rifle in from a tight angle.
Baku's fine finish in the 80th after another quick Wolfsburg move and Waldschmidt's late penalty completed Freiburg's misery.
"We had no chance," said coach Streich. "We had nothing to counter a team that was in every aspect better than us."
