Alassane Plea set up Marcus Thuram for his ninth and 10th goals of the season before scoring one of his own as Borussia Monchengladbach moved third with a 4-1 win over Union Berlin on Sunday.
Florian Neuhaus also scored for Gladbach, whose 56 points defy Bayer Leverkusen on goal differential.
Sebastian Andersson scored his 12th goal of the season just after halftime to halve Union’s deficit, but Union finishes the day four points clear of the bottom three with 31 points.
Thuram (10 goals, 8 assists) and Plea (10 goals, 10 assists) exit the day with similar stats in Bundesliga play. Thuram celebrating one of his goals by taking a knee in honor of George Floyd, whose death after a police officer kneeled on his neck has been protested worldwide.
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⚽💥 ¡Gool de @borussia_es!
— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) May 31, 2020
⚽💥 ¡Gool de @borussia_es!
⚽💥 ¡Gool de @borussia_es!
👏😀 Florian Neuhaus aguantó muy bien el balón y definió fantástico 🚀⚽💥
📺🔴 EN VIVO https://t.co/KxeezTMpPU@Bundesliga_ES | #GladToBeBach | #BMGFCU | #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/7odUMbebbv
Gladbach avoided an early scare on a Union shot from distance before sending a warning sign through Marcus Thuram.
That was followed by Neuhaus dribbling across traffic to push a shot off the inside that post that bounded across the line for a 17th-minute opener.
Thuram and Plea entered with near-identical league stats before teaming up for Gladbach’s second.
This is a perfectly-weighted cross from Plea for his ninth Bundesliga helper and Thuram’s ninth goal:
⚽💥 ¡Gool de @borussia_es!
— TUDN USA (@TUDNUSA) May 31, 2020
⚽💥 ¡Gool de @borussia_es!
⚽💥 ¡Gool de @borussia_es!
Servicio de Pléa, remate de Thuram. Conexión francesa infalible 🇫🇷✨⚽ ¡Golazo!
📺🔴 EN VIVO https://t.co/KxeezTMpPU@Bundesliga_ES | #GladToBeBach | #BMGFCU | #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/92PtUaDXln
Andersson pulled one back for Union with another headed goal off a 50th-minute cross from Marcus Ingvartsen.
Gladbach restored the lead through the same combination that provided its second goal, Plea’s cross coolly slotted by Thuram for his 10th of the season.
Algerian left back Ramy Bensebaini kept up his fine play in crossing to a wide-open Plea for the match’s final marker.
USMNT-eligible back Julian Ryerson played only five minutes, subbing off in the 65th minute with injury.