Bayer Leverkusen battled past strugglers VfL Bochum 3-1 thanks to two second half goals on Friday to cut the gap with leaders Bayern Munich to three points.
Goals from Victor Boniface on the hour and Amine Adli in the 87th minute sealed the win and lifted the reigning champions to 59 points in second place with seven games left to play. Bayern, with 62 points, are in action on Saturday at home to St Pauli.
Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso opted to start with two strikers -- Boniface and Patrik Schick -- with the injured Florian Wirtz watching from the stands.
They took the lead in the 20th minute after Aleix Garcia found enough space outside the box to drill the ball home.
Bochum bounced back six minutes later with Felix Passlack firing in on the rebound after a save by Lukas Hradecky.
The hosts had to wait until the 60th minute to go back in front when Nigeria international Boniface was left unmarked at the far post and pushed the ball over the line with his knee for his eighth league goal of the season.
Jeremie Frimpong came close to putting Leverkusen further ahead but narrowly missed the target after a textbook counter-attack in the 78th before Boniface had the ball in the net two minutes later only to be ruled offside.
Adli eventually made sure of the three points with a fine finish from an Exequiel Palacios assist before Granit Xhaka rattled both posts with a stoppage-time shot to cap an entertaining evening for the home fans.
