Kingsley Coman, Leon Goretzka and Serge Gnabry turned the game in Bayern's favour before the break after Lucas Alario's opener.

Robert Lewandowski then ensured victory before 17-year-old Florian Wirtz grabbed a consolation.

Bayern now top the table by seven points from Borussia Dortmund, who beat Hertha Berlin 1-0 in the late game.

Emre Can's well-worked goal just before the hour sealed the win after a neat combination between Jadon Sancho and Julian Brandt to ease Dortmund's nerves. They had previously missed various half chances.

Dortmund seem destined to fall short in the title race with four games left to play but they have a seven-point cushion in the Champions League places.

Hertha were organised but unthreatening as they suffered a first loss under latest coach Bruno Labbadia.

Third-placed RB Leipzig were held 1-1 by bottom club Paderborn after being reduced to 10 men.

Leverkusen stay fifth, outside the Champions League spots on goal difference behind Borussia Moenchengladbach who lost 1-0 at Freiburg on Friday.

Mainz boosted their survival hopes 2-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt but Fortuna Dusseldorf drew 2-2 at home to 10-man Hoffenheim.

Bayern need only six points from their remaining four games to confirm their 30th German championship though they will resume next week without the suspended Thomas Mueller and Lewandowski.

That surely ends Lewandowski's dream of matching Gerd Mueller's 40-goal tally from 1971/72 though he hit 30 as he and his team-mates more than gained revenge for Bayern's 2-1 loss to Leverkusen in Munich in November.

That was coach Hansi Flick's first loss in charge of Bayern and he has now won 23 of 26 competitive games.

Leipzig have been inconsistent since returning from the coronavirus break behind closed doors and having crushed Cologne on Monday slipped up badly against Paderborn.

Timo Werner, reportedly on the brink of a move to Chelsea, set up Patrik Schick for the opener but Leipzig had Dayot Upamecano sent off for kicking the ball away before half-time.

Paderborn look increasingly doomed but Klaus Gjasula made Bundesliga history with a record-equalling 16th booking of the season and Christian Strohdiek's injury-time goal kept their slim survival hopes alive.

Above them the battle rages on with Fortuna Dusseldorf in the play-off place having failed to capitalise on Benjamin Huebner's ninth minute red card for Hoffenheim.

They already led through Rouven Hennings but Munas Dabbur levelled for the 10 men and Steven Zuber puts the guests in front before Hennings' late penalty.

Dusseldorf are three clear of second bottom Werder Bremen, who host Wolfsburg on Sunday, and three shy of outright safety as Moussa Niakhate and Pierre Kunde earned 15th-place Mainz a 2-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Hoffenheim stay sixth in the final automatic Europa League spot, one point better than Wolfsburg with Freiburg one further behind.

Promoted Union Berlin and Augsburg are also in relegation trouble but have the chance to ease their worries at home to Schalke and Cologne on Sunday, two sides struggling for form.

Australian Associated Press