Midfielder Lars Bender staked his claim to start in Germany’s friendly against France on Wednesday with two goals as Bayer Leverkusen moved up to fifth in the German league with a 2-0 win at Cologne.
With Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund hosting Hanover and third-placed Bayern Munich at home to Schalke on Sunday, Bender struck as Leverkusen claimed bragging rights in the Rhine derby.
Germany coach Joachim Loew is missing first-choice midfielders Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mario Goetze and Lukas Podolski, and after an impressive display Bender could be set to add to his three appearances.
The 22-year-old, whose twin brother Sven of Borussia Dortmund is also in the Germany squad to face the French in Bremen, netted either side of half-time as Leverkusen moved past Werder Bremen, who host Nuremberg on Saturday night.
Mainz continued their impressive form to go 10th with a 4-0 hammering of Kaiserslautern as Egypt star Mohamed Zidan scored for the fourth time in four games since his winter break move from Dortmund.
The 30-year-old has been in stellar form for his new club and needed just two minutes to put his side ahead.
Ex-Greece coach Otto Rehhagel, who took over last Sunday, got off to a losing start as Hertha Berlin were beaten 3-0 by fellow relegation candidates Augsburg.
Two goals in two minutes from striker Torsten Oehrl put Augsburg ahead before Cameroon midfielder Marcel Ndjeng scored the third in the 92nd minute as Berlin slumped to their sixth straight defeat.
The defeat sees Berlin drop into the relegation zone.
Stuttgart are up to eighth after their 4-1 win at home to bottom side Freiburg as Japan striker Shinji Okazaki scored for the third time in three league matches.
On Friday night, Borussia Moenchengladbach missed out on joining Dortmund on 49 points at the top of the table after a 1-1 draw with improving Hamburg.
Mike Hanke gave Lucien Favre’s hosts the lead with a header from a Juan Arango freekick on the stroke of half-time but Tolgay Arslan equalised 11 minutes after the restart.
Hamburg, steadily improving under the tutelage of Thorsten Fink, leapfrogged Wolfsburg into eighth place.
