Bayern Munich became only the second team to score 100 Bundesliga goals in a calendar year as they inflicted a first league defeat of the season on Freiburg.
Thomas Muller unselfishly set up Leon Goretzka for the opener after half-an-hour before Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead 15 minutes from time with his 60th goal of 2021 after good play by Alphonso Davies.
Third-placed Freiburg scored a late consolation through Janik Haberer as it finished 2-1.
Leaders Bayern have six league games left before the winter break and only need one more goal to equal Cologne’s record of 101 Bundesliga goals in 1977.
Lewandowski’s goals for Bayern and Poland in this year have come in only 50 games.
Bayern are four points above second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who lost 2-1 at RB Leipzig.
“I think it's a deserved win in the end,” said Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann. “I think there were a lot of chances, just not quite as clear as in the last few games because Freiburg defended a bit more aggressively in the box than the other teams.”
Borussia Dortmund's four-game winning streak in the Bundesliga came to a halt as they were beaten 2-1 away to RB Leipzig on Saturday.
French winger Christopher Nkunku put Leipzig in front in the 29th minute to score for the second game in a row after netting in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.
Jesse Marsch's side missed numerous chances to build on their lead before they were punished by a Marco Reus equaliser early in the second half.
Leipzig quickly set about restoring their lead, with Nkunku hitting the post and Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel making an outstanding double save to thwart Mohamed Simakan and then boot the loose ball away before forward Dominik Szoboszlai could pounce.
They eventually took advantage of their dominance when Yusuf Poulsen slid to the floor to send a cross from Nkunku inside the near post in the 68th minute.
Defender Nordi Mukiele had a headed goal disallowed later on for offside for the hosts but Poulsen's strike was enough to secure a first win for Leipzig over Dortmund in over four years.
The result left second-placed Dortmund on 24 points after 11 games, four behind Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich who beat Freiburg 2-1 at home earlier on Saturday.
Leipzig climbed up to fifth on 18 points after claiming their fifth win of the season and Marsch felt his side deserved the victory.
"It was important that we rewarded our hard work," said the American coach.
"We've been playing well in past weeks but haven't got the right results. We could definitely have score more goals and made it easier for ourselves."
