Bayern Munich have all but conceded defeat in the Bundesliga title race after falling seven points behind defending champion Borussia Dortmund.

“As of today, we don’t need to talk about the title anymore,” Bayern sporting director Christian Nerlinger said on Sunday.

“I’m not writing off the title, but it’s nothing to concern us now.”

Bayern lost 2-0 at Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday, before Dortmund beat Mainz 2-1 to stretch its lead in the standings with its eighth consecutive win – a club record.

“I haven’t thought about whether the seven points mean anything,” coach Juergen Klopp said after watching his side stretch its unbeaten run to 18 games. “I could only blather rubbish about it now.”

Bayern has not gone two consecutive years without winning the title since Dortmund claimed back-to-back titles in 1995 and 1996.

Jupp Heynckes conceded that Borussia has a huge advantage over his side with 10 rounds left to play, although he didn’t want to “hand out the title just yet”.

The Bayern coach spoke of a “curse hanging over us at the moment” after watching his side squander numerous goal-scoring chances against his former side, Leverkusen.

“It’s frustrating,” said Bayern winger Arjen Robben. “Football is strange sometimes. We can forget about the title for a bit now. We have to focus more on ourselves.”

The impression of Bayern in disarray was illustrated by Thomas Mueller and Jerome Boateng furiously arguing in the first half, when Rafinha had to step in between the teammates.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Robben said. “There has to be a bit of fire in the team.”

But Mueller refused to talk about the incident.

“Talking about it won’t bring the points back,” the Germany international said.

“We’re not girls,” Boateng said.

Heynckes tried to play down the incident.

“This happened before, this happened five years ago, that happens today,” the 66-year-old said.

“It’s important to let emotions out. These two get on very well together.”

Most focused on Bayern’s sixth loss of the season, however, with Bayern captain Philipp Lahm describing it as “very bitter”.

“The loss hurts a lot,” Lahm said. “It’s not going well.”

It could yet get worse on Sunday, when Borussia Moenchengladbach could reclaim second place with a win at Nuremberg.

“We can’t look at Dortmund,” said Bayern midfielder Toni Kroos. “For us the priority has to be finishing second.”

Bayern’s best hopes of silverware remain the Champions League and German Cup but the Bavarians face tough tasks in both competitions.

Munich will need to overturn a 1-0 deficit to FC Basel to progress in the Champions League on March 13, while Borussia Moenchengladbach awaits in the German Cup semifinal on March 21.

“These are still two very big objectives,” Robben said.