The hosts took the lead after 18 minutes when Xavi Simons tapped in a rebound after a Leipzig counter.

Lois Openda superbly volleyed home Simons' floated corner to double the lead just after half-time.

Dortmund laid siege to Leipzig's penalty area in the second half, hitting the crossbar three times, but could not break through despite a wealth of chances, with striker Serhou Guirassy spurning several good opportunities.

Dortmund will now need a miracle to avoid missing the Champions League for just the second time in the past 15 seasons.

Midfielder Pascal Gross admitted reaching the top four was "unrealistic".

"Big statements (about turning things around) are always easy, anyone can make them, but on the pitch we failed once again," he said.

Leipzig's win took them to fifth, level on points with fourth-placed Frankfurt, who play at Bochum on Sunday. Dortmund are seven points behind.

"You can't lose a game like that -- we beat ourselves, that's what happened today," said Dortmund coach Niko Kovac.

Unlikely Champions League candidates Mainz and Freiburg drew 2-2. Hosts Mainz, reduced to 10 men when Dominik Kohr saw red after 43 minutes, twice took the lead but Freiburg equalised both times.

The result leaves Mainz third and Freiburg sixth, with neither side having ever played in the Champions League.

An Alassane Plea hat-trick took Borussia Moenchengladbach to a 4-2 win at Werder Bremen, keeping the visitors on track for a return to European football.

Plea's first-half brace had Gladbach on track but Bremen scored twice in seven minutes through Romano Schmid and Andre Silva, his first goal for the club, to level things up at half-time.

Plea scored just two minutes into the second half and Germany striker Tim Kleindienst added another to seal the victory.

Augsburg's impressive 2025 continued with a 1-0 home win over Wolfsburg, with Phillip Tietz scoring the only goal.

Augsburg are now unbeaten in 10 in the league and have conceded just three goals this calendar year, the lowest mark in the top five European leagues.