Kevin Kuranyi was the hero as Schalke 04 beat Nuremberg 1-0 on Saturday, bringing them closer to their first German soccer title in 49 years with two games left to play.
German international Kuranyi headed the winner in the 64th minute as the league's two stingiest defenses met in Gelsenkirchen. Stuttgart beat lowly Mainz 2-0 for their sixth win in a row,
Schalke have 65 points while Stuttgart are on 64. Third-placed Werder Bremen (60) can also remain in the title race if they win at Hertha Berlin on Sunday. Schalke face rivals Dortumnd next week while Stuttgart face Bochum.
"Our team has an aim and is in great shape, but Bochum have a very strong team," warned Stuttgart general manager Horst Heldt.
<i class="caption">Bildunterschrift: Schalke expect to be fighting off the competition until the Bundesliga's final week
Schalke's Andreas Müller said he thinks the winner of the Bundesliga title won't be clear until the final week.
"It will remain tight until the end," he said. "But I have a great feeling, we will try our best"
Nuremberg in UEFA Cup
Schalke dominated German Cup finalists Nuremberg from the start but chances were sparse in front of a 61,000-strong sellout crowd. Kuranyi's low shot was saved by Raphael Schäfer and Marcelo Bordon headed wide.
The hosts stepped up the pace after the break and it took a miracle save from Schaefer to punch away Dario Rodriguez' header in the 58th.
