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Bochum, which had been promoted from 2. Bundesliga in 2021, suffered a 4-1 home loss to European hopeful Mainz, leaving it seven points adrift of 16th-placed Heidenheim with just one game remaining.

It went into this match needing a win to have any chance of staying up, but Mainz went in front in first-half stoppage-time thanks to Nadiem Amiri's superb free-kick.

Phillipp Mwene struck eight minutes after the restart and Jonathan Burkardt made it 3-0 to extinguish Bochum's hopes.

Bochum cut the deficit through Gerrit Holtmann's low drive, but Pual Nebel scored for Mainz in stoppage-time, with the visitors climbing to sixth in the table, which would bring UEFA Conference League qualification.

Holstein Kiel, which won promotion last season, took a 24th-minute lead against Freiburg through Lasse Rosenboom, but the top-four contender staged a fightback.

It levelled in first-half stoppage-time through Johan Manzambi, before Lukas Hoeler headed in a second-half winner.

Freiburg is fourth on 55 points, with Borussia Dortmund – currently fifth on 51 – taking on Bayer Leverkusen on Monday (AEST).

Heidenheim, meanwhile, could still avoid a play-off against the third-placed finisher from 2. Bundesliga, having won 3-0 at Union Berlin.

Adrian Beck scored twice for Frank Schmidt's team, with Jan Schoppner also on target as it moved within two points of 15th-placed St. Pauli.

St. Pauli could secure survival with a win at Eintracht Frankfurt on Monday (AEST), while Hoffenheim – 14th and three points clear of Heidenheim with a superior goal difference – is not yet safe with one game remaining.