Borussia Dortmund enjoyed the perfect preparation for its top-of-the-table clash with Bayern Munich by beating Darmstadt 2-0.
Borussia Dortmund gained vital ground on Bayern Munich ahead of Saturday's Der Klassiker with a 2-0 win over Darmstadt on a night when its rival slipped up.
While Bundesliga leader Bayern was stunned by a 2-1 home defeat to Mainz, Thomas Tuchel's side dominated struggling Darmstadt and scored either side of halftime to claim a victory that moves it to within five points of the reigning champion.
And that gap could be down to just two points at the weekend, with Bayern visiting Signal Iduna Park for a mouthwatering clash that looks set to go a long way to deciding the destination of the title.