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Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp hailed a trio of his squad players following the 2-1 home loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.
Attacking midfielder Jonas Hofmann started for Klopp's men on Saturday, while striker Marvin Ducksch and playmaker Milos Jojic each came off the bench in the second half.
It was Jojic who had the biggest impact as the Serbian found the net with a deflected strike after Havard Nordtveit had been sent off for Gladbach, who had earlier taken a two-goal lead with strikes from Raffael and Max Kruse.
But Dortmund were denied a point as Ducksch had a goal ruled out for a foul by Robert Lewandowski, a decision that saw Klopp dismissed for his protests to the referee.
The defeat leaves Klopp's side 23 points adrift of Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, who will clinch a second successive title next weekend if they win and Dortmund and Schalke fail to do so.
Yet Klopp took the positives from the performance, earmarking Hofmann, Ducksch and Jojic for praise.
"Marvin Ducksch proved with little time how much of a threat he can be," Klopp said.
"Milos Jojic showed what he is capable off for us and Jonas Hoffman managed to make a mess of the ball on two occasions which slightly startled him but in the second half he was fully there and played a good game."
Hertha Berlin striker Adrian Ramos is on the verge of agreeing a deal to join Borussia Dortmund, according to his agent.
The Colombia international has previously spoken of being open to a move to Signal Iduna Park following a season where he has scored 15 goals from 27 appearances in all competitions.
Having helped Hertha to promotion from the German second tier last season, Ramos has been repeatedly linked with Dortmund - who will lose star striker Robert Lewandowski to Bayern Munich at the end of the campaign.
And the 28-year-old's representative, Helmuth Wennin, claims there is a strong chance that his client will be linking up for Dortmund next season.
"There is a great possibility that Adrian goes to Dortmund," he told Colombian news agency Colprensa.
"I prefer it when the official announcement comes from the clubs."
Ramos scored in a 2-1 victory against Dortmund back in December.
Hoeness set for jail term after prosecutor rules out appeal
MUNICH Mon Mar 17, 2014 12:30pm GMT
(Reuters) - State prosecutors in Munich will not appeal a court ruling to send former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness to jail for 3-1/2 years on a tax evasion conviction even though it was two years less than their demand, their office said on Monday.
Hoeness, 62, also opted on Friday not to appeal the ruling after the most spectacular tax evasion trial in the country's history. Hoeness resigned as Bayern's president and chairman of the supervisory board after the conviction.
Hoeness, who turned the soccer club into one of the world's most successful sporting dynasties during 35 years at the helm, is expected to begin his term within the next two months - most likely at the same Landsberg prison west of Munich where Adolf Hitler went to jail in 1924 on a treason conviction.
Hoeness was convicted of tax evasion on Thursday for evading 28.5 million euros in taxes on income earned in a secret Swiss bank account. He had hoped his voluntary disclosure of the income earned would lead to leniency and a suspended sentence.
Hoeness, who also owns a Bavarian sausage factory, helped West Germany win the 1974 World Cup as a player. As an executive at Bayern Munich, he helped build the team into a perennial powerhouse that won last year's Champions League and dominates the German Bundesliga.
The club's earnings have soared under his stewardship, which has lasted 35 years in various posts. With more than 220,000 members, it is one of the world's biggest soccer clubs.
His tax evasion shocked the nation and prompted thousands of tax dodgers to turn themselves in. The maximum sentence for tax evasion is 10 years and the prosecutors, citing Hoeness's cooperation, had sought a 5-1/2 year sentence.
(Writing by Erik Kirschbaum; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has refused to bite back at criticism from club legend Franz Beckenbauer.
The fact that Bayern have been criticised seems astounding on the surface, with the European champions 23 points clear of the second-placed Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga.
Their UEFA Champions League defence is on track, with Bayern having qualified for the quarter-finals, while they meet second-tier Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal final.
But Beckenbauer expressed his disappointment with Bayern in the wake of their 1-1 home draw against Arsenal in the Champions League's last 16, claiming that the club would become "unwatchable like Barcelona" - Guardiola's former side.
When asked to respond, the Spaniard bit his tongue though, quoted as saying in Marca: "Franz isn't a legend. He is this club's legend.
"I have enormous respect for his opinion.
"I give the very best I can – I did at Barcelona and I do here. I always accept these opinions."
Bayern can win their second successive Bundesliga title this week, if they win at Mainz on Saturday and Borussia Dortmund and Schalke both fail to win.
Jurgen Klopp will be investigated by the German Football Association (DFB) after his dismissal at Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Goals from Raffael and Max Kruse had put Gladbach 2-0 up at Borussia-Park, but Havard Nordtveit's red card and Milos Jojic's deflected strike gave Dortmund hope of rescuing a point.
Substitute Marvin Ducksch thought he had done just that in the closing stages, but Robert Lewandowski was penalised for a foul in the build-up.
The decision incensed Dortmund coach Klopp, who continued to berate the officials until referee Deniz Aytekin sent him to the stands.
Klopp has already served a two-game touchline ban in this season's UEFA Champions League for his conduct towards officials in September's defeat at Napoli.
And the DFB's disciplinary committee chairman Anton Nachreiner hinted his previous indescretions could count against him as they consider a suitable punishment.
He told Bild: "That Jurgen Klopp is a repeat offender could have an influence on the sports court's ruling."
Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke was quick to back Klopp after the match, claiming: "In this matter, I must come to Klopp’s defence 100 per cent.
"He did not insult anyone. What Klopp has done, 17 other coaches in the league also do."
The 46-year-old has accepted his punishment for shouting at officials during his side's home defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has been fined €10,000 by the German Football Association (DFB), but has escaped a touchline ban.
The 46-year-old was investigated after he was sent to the stands during his side's 2-1 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.
Klopp was incensed by a decision that denied the hosts an equaliser when Marvin Ducksch netted, with a foul awarded against Robert Lewandowski in the build-up.
He continued to remonstrate with the fourth official until referee Deniz Aytekin sent him to the stands.
The DFB have taken a dim view of the incident and imposed a fine on Klopp for "unsportsmanlike conduct", though he will be in the dugout for Dortmund's trip to Hannover on Saturday.
Klopp, who served a two-game touchline ban in this season's Champions League for his conduct towards officials in September's defeat at Napoli, has accepted the decision.
"The sports court of the German Football Association (DFB) has [punished] Jurgen Klopp, coach of Borussia Dortmund, with a fine to the amount of 10,000 euros because of unsportsmanlike conduct," read a statement on the official DFB website.
"Klopp had in stoppage time of the match between Borussia Dortmund and Borssia Monchengladbach on March 15, 2014, run to the fourth officials Christoph Bornhorst and yelled at him.
"The coach has agreed to the judgement, it is therefore legally binding."
The Bayern Munich boss has hailed the former president's impact on the club and wants to remain at the Allianz Arena for two or three more years.
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola says he would like to remain at the Allianz Arena until after former club president Uli Hoeness is released from prison.
The former West Germany international was put behind bars for three and a half years after being found guilty of tax evasion last week.
The 43-year-old Guardiola has already voiced his sadness that his "friend" will no longer be at the club and is willing to wait until his jail term ends.
"I'll continue until Hoeness comes back," the former Barcelona coach is quoted as saying by Mundo Deportivo.
"I want to do my best for the club. I want to continue working here for two or thee years. My dream is to be here when he returns.
"Without Hoeness all this would not have been possible."
Guardiola's current contract at Bayern expires in the summer of 2016.
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has extended his deal with the Bundesliga champions until 2017.
Robben has enjoyed huge success since arriving at Bayern from Real Madrid in 2009, claiming two league titles and scoring the winning goal in their 2-1 UEFA Champions League final success over Borussia Dortmund last season.
The Netherlands international's deal at the Allianz Arena was due to expire at the end of next season.
However, the 30-year-old has now committed his future to the Bavarians, and will spend at least three more seasons with Bayern.
And the former Chelsea man has set his sights on securing further silverware with the club in the coming years.
"I'm delighted we've now signed the new contract and I'll continue pursuing trophies with FC Bayern," Robben told the club's official website.
"I'm now in my fifth season in Munich and there will be three more after this.
"There can be no better indication of how happy my family and I feel to be here and how much I enjoy playing for this club and with this team.
"I'm looking forward to the years ahead – and to plenty more trophies with FC Bayern."
Pep Guardiola's side are unbeaten in the league this season and 23 points clear of second-placed Dortmund.
Schakle captain Benedikt Howedes is expected to miss the visit of Eintracht Braunschweig with an injury sustained against Real Madrid.
Howedes was withdrawn in the 58th minute of Schalke's UEFA Champions League last-16 second-leg clash at the Bernabeu, which Schalke lost 3-1 as the Bundesliga outfit slumped to a 9-2 aggregate defeat.
Schalke will now turn their attentions to domestic concerns following their elimination from European competition, with Keller's men still not secured of a place in the top four of the German top flight.
But coach Jens Keller revealed that they are likely to be without skipper Howedes on Saturday, although the club are awaiting the results of scans.
"Benedikt Howedes' injury is frustrating," Keller said. "We don't have a clear diagnosis yet and have to wait on an MRI scan.
"It's something muscular, in any case. He probably won't be able to play against Eintracht Braunschweig."
Despite Schalke's Champions League exit, Keller expressed satisfaction with his side's display. However, he did concede that his charges made too many errors.
"We're disappointed to lose, of course, but despite that I'm very pleased with my team's performance," Keller added.
"They tackled strongly, kept running and worked tightly together. It's clear that you can't completely shut down Real without them having a couple of goalscoring opportunities.
"The only frustrating thing was making two errors after 75 minutes that led to us conceding two goals. Nevertheless, the team reacted well after the first-leg defeat."
Borussia Dortmund have announced that defender Marcel Schmelzer will miss up to a month with a groin injury.
Left-back Schmelzer sustained the injury in Dortmund's 2-1 UEFA Champions League last 16 defeat to Zenit on Wednesday.
Dortmund qualified for the competition's last eight despite the defeat, progressing 5-4 on aggregate.
But they will now be without Schmelzer for the next four weeks, a club statement confirmed on Thursday.
That means Schmelzer will be missing as Dortmund continue their battle with Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen for second position on the Bundesliga table, behind runaway leaders Bayern Munich, and will be forced to sit out the Champions League quarter-finals.
Dortmund play local rivals Schalke on Tuesday, but face Hannover first on Saturday.
Dortmund's website said Schmelzer will be targeting a return for their DFB-Pokal semi-final on April 15 against Wolfsburg.
Schalke's injury crisis continues to stack up after captain Benedikt Howedes was sidelined for several weeks with an adductor injury.
Howedes, who has only recently returned from a thigh injury, suffered a muscle tear to his left adductor in Tuesday's 3-1 UEFA Champions League defeat at Real Madrid, a result that saw them exit the competition.
Schalke say the 26-year-old is not available for selection "in the coming weeks".
Club coach Jens Keller told the club's official website: "This is very bitter," while sporting director Horst Heldt said the news was "brutal".
Howedes' injury reduces the options available to Keller, with fellow defenders Christian Fuchs (knee), Felipe Santana and Atsuto Uchida (both hamstring) and Jan Kirchhoff (ankle) also sidelined.
Jefferson Farfan, Marco Hoger and Dennis Aogo (all knee) and Christian Clemens (hip) are all battling injuries too.
The news is a blow for Schalke, who have risen to third in the Bundesliga table on the back of successive league wins over Hoffenheim and Augsburg.
They host rock-bottom Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday.
Bundesliga Preview: Eintracht Braunschweig, Hannover look to frustrate Bayern
19 March 2014
Eintracht Braunschweig and Hannover stand in the way of Bayern Munich defending their Bundesliga title against Mainz this weekend.
Pep Guardiola's side are on the verge of being crowned champions of the German top flight and could win the league this weekend with victory over UEFA Champions League hopefuls Mainz.
However, bottom side Braunschweig and mid-table Hannover would have to beat Schalke and Borussia Dortmund respectively to make Bayern's title mathematically secure.
Given that Bayern have scored more league goals than Braunschweig and Hannover combined, Guardiola may have to wait before clinching the Bundesliga in his debut season at the Allianz Arena.
Dortmund and Schalke also have plenty to play for, regardless of the task they face chasing Bayern, with the local rivals eager to secure the two remaining automatic Champions League qualification spots.
The rivals also contest the Revierderby next week and will be eager to go into the clash off the back of a victory.
Schalke will be without captain Benedikt Howedes after he picked up a muscular problem in Tuesday's Champions League exit at Real Madrid while Dortmund will look for a response after a below-par defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Monchengladbach coach Lucien Favre will be eager for Raffael and Max Kruse to help bolster their hopes of European football next season with victory over an out-of-sorts Hertha Berlin while Wolfsburg and Mainz, hosting Augsburg and Bayern respectively, can pile the pressure on Bayer Leverkusen in fourth - with Sami Hyypia's men on a dismal run of form.
Leverkusen have not won any of their last eight matches in all competitions and have been knocked out of the Champions League. On Sunday, they host Hoffenheim - themselves beaten in their last two outings.
A first win for Huub Stevens as Stuttgart manager could move them out of the drop zone as they host fellow strugglers Hamburg - who have taken seven points from 12 since replacing Bert van Marwijk with Mirko Slomka in February.
And Eintracht Frankfurt could be brought back into the relegation battle against Nurnberg while Freiburg welcome the visit of Werder Bremen.
Bayern Munich can win their 23rd Bundesliga title with a little help from a couple of other sides on Saturday, but must beat in-form Mainz.
Pep Guardiola's men hold a staggering 23-point lead at the top of the division with just nine games remaining - it is almost certainly a matter of 'when' and not 'if' they will be crowned champions.
And it could be this weekend that Bayern confirm the successful defence of the title they won back from Borussia Dortmund last season.
A victory against UEFA Champions League-hopefuls Mainz will see Guardiola lift the trophy in his debut season, as long as Dortmund and Schalke fail to win their games.
With Jens Keller's men hosting bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig and Dortmund travelling to mid-table Hannover, Bayern may be forced to wait a bit longer to celebrate another championship triumph.
Last Saturday's 2-1 win over Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten league run to 50 games, while the last side to defeat Guardiola's charges in any competition were Manchester City in the Champions League on December 10 - 15 matches ago.
Bayern were given a further lift on Wednesday when winger Arjen Robben signed a contract extension that will keep him at the club until 2017.
The visitors can expect a tricky test against a Mainz side sitting fifth in the table and still in with a shout of a top-two finish.
Thomas Tuchel's charges have lost just once in their past 11 Bundesliga outings and have not tasted defeat at the Coface Arena since a 3-1 reverse to Dortmund back in November.
The coach was in philosophical mood as his side prepare to take on a Bayern outfit who have won 17 Bundesliga matches in a row.
"If the little one wants to beat the great, then he does not do well in the classroom of the great, he lures him into a dark corner," he told the club's official website.
"We want to provide them with tasks. If they solve them, then we go over there and congratulate. Then no-one will be ashamed of us."
Mainz have conceded just once on home turf in the past four games but have struggled for goals all season - their tally of 37 is only the 11th best in the division, and just half of the total achieved by Bayern.
Cameroon international Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has been in impressive form of late, though, scoring four times in his past five appearances, and Bayern will need to be mindful of his threat if they are to kick-start their title celebrations.
The hosts will be hoping for a change in fortunes from the reverse fixture in October, when Mainz led at the break through Shawn Parker, only for Bayern to roar back in the second half and eventually run out 4-1 winners.
Freiburg boosted their Bundesliga survival bid by recording a long-overdue 3-1 home triumph over Werder Bremen on Friday.
Goals from Julian Schuster, Felix Klaus and Admir Mehmedi ensured Freiburg gained a top-flight success against Bremen at Mage Solar Stadion for the first time since 2001.
Bremen, who are coached by former Freiburg boss Robin Dutt, grabbed a consolation through Nils Petersen following an error from defender Matthias Ginter.
However, that mattered little as the hosts, 4-1 winners over Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, secured a vital three points to move out of the relegation play-off place and up to 14th ahead of the weekend's fixtures.
The first half was lit up by Schuster's fantastic 15th-minute strike, which saw the midfielder send a dipping half-volley into the top-right corner from 25 yards.
Mehmedi then took centre stage as Freiburg assumed complete control after the interval.
The Swiss international laid on his side's second goal for Klaus in the 53rd minute, breaking clear down the left before pulling the ball back for his team-mate to side-foot home.
Things soon got worse for Bremen as Mehmedi got on the scoresheet six minutes later after an effort from Klaus had been blocked.
Aaron Hunt intercepted a wayward pass from Ginter before squaring for Petersen to reduce the deficit with 20 minutes remaining, but Freiburg held firm thereafter to claim a valuable win.
Jurgen Klopp will have to keep his emotions in check when Borussia Dortmund visit Hannover in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
The Dortmund coach was sent to the stands in the closing stages of the 2-1 defeat to Borussia Monchengladbach at Signal Iduna Park last Saturday.
The 46-year-old thought his side had secured a late draw when substitute Marvin Ducksch swept home, only for a foul to be given against Robert Lewandowski in the build-up.
Klopp continued to remonstrate with the fourth official, prompting referee Deniz Aytekin to give him his marching orders.
However, Klopp avoided a touchline ban for his actions, with the German Football Association instead choosing to impose a €10,000 fine, but any further misdemeanours would likely result in a ban.
That means he will be in the dugout as Dortmund attempt to return winning ways at the HDI-Arena this weekend, with the race for second place in the Bundesliga intensifying.
Dortmund are currently leading the chase, but hold just a one-point advantage over Schalke, while fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen are four points adrift.
Heading into the encounter, Dortmund have suffered back-to-back 2-1 home defeats, as Zenit's triumph at Signal Iduna Park in the UEFA Champions League on Wednesday followed the Gladbach setback.
A last-eight spot in Europe's premier club competition was sealed courtesy of a 5-4 aggregate victory, but some sections of the home crowd were audibly displeased with the display, leading midfield duo Kevin Grosskreutz and Sebastian Kehl to call for unity.
"I really do not like this," Grosskreutz said. "Every time we lost possession you could hear moans in the crowd. We do not need moans, we need support. Afterwards you can whistle but during the game we need the support."
Kehl added: "Some in the team are really affected by this. A home game should be a positive experience and not feel as if we have committed some sort of crime."
Klopp will be without Marcel Schmelzer for the encounter, with the full-back set for a month on the sidelines after sustaining a groin injury against Zenit.
Hannover will face Dortmund with renewed optimism after a 3-0 success at Hertha Berlin ended a run of four matches without a win for Tayfun Korkut's charges.
That victory alleviated Hannover's relegation fears, and they are now in 11th position with 29 points, seven clear of the relegation play-off spot.
The hosts will begin life without club captain and record appearance make Steve Cherundolo after the defender called time on his playing career on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old has undergone several knee surgeries in recent years, and the right-back has been restricted to just two appearances this season.
Artjoms Rudnevs is also doubtful after the forward bruised his ankle against Hertha Berlin last weekend.
Pep Guardiola refuses to get ahead of himself as Bayern Munich close in on a 23rd Bundesliga title.
The Allianz Arena outfit visit Mainz on Saturday knowing victory - combined with slip-ups from Borussia Dortmund and Schalke - would be enough to see them win the league with eight games to spare.
However, despite holding a staggering 23-point lead at the top, Guardiola is not celebrating just yet.
"Let me win the Bundesliga title first and then I'll tell you what it's like to win it," the Bayern coach said. "It's strange to have such a big lead in the table, it's not normal. But we've won a lot of games."
And the Spaniard insisted that overcoming in-form Mainz was far from a foregone conclusion.
"They've only lost one of their last 11 Bundesliga games," he stressed. "They have a good team, we know that."
Guardiola also expressed his delight that Arjen Robben had put pen to paper on a new deal, but revealed Thiago Alcantra may miss the weekend fixture after acquiring a thigh injury.
"I'm delighted Arjen Robben extended his contract because he's an outstanding player," he added. "He's so focused and he lives for football.
"I don't think Thiago Alcantara will play, he might stay in Munich. He picked up a knock on his thigh, but it's not serious."
Bundesliga Wrap: Dortmund, Schalke make Bayern wait for title glory
22 March 2014
Borussia Dortmund and Schalke made Bayern Munich wait to retain their Bundesliga title by both winning on Saturday.
A win for Bayern and slip-ups by Dortmund and Schalke would have secured a 24th German title for the all-conquering Bavarians.
But Pep Guardiola's men will have to wait until Tuesday at the earliest to celebrate, despite their 2-0 victory at Mainz, after both of their nearest challengers took maximum points.
Second-placed Dortmund cruised to a 3-0 success at Hannover, defender Mats Hummels' close-range finish putting them ahead before Robert Lewandowski effectively sealed the points with a fine individual goal.
Marco Reus wrapped up the win late on as Jurgen Klopp's side produced a superb display ahead of Tuesday's Revierderby with Schalke, who remain third after beating bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig 3-1.
Leon Goretzka and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar put Jens Keller's men in command at the Veltins-Arena, before Adam Szalai ensured the win in injury-time after Benjamin Kessel had pulled one back for Braunschweig.
Those results meant that Bayern were unable to be confirmed as champions in Mainz, even though they made it 51 Bundesliga games without defeat with a hard-fought 2-0 win at the Coface Arena.
A header from Bastian Schweinsteiger and a composed Mario Gotze finish sealed an 18th straight top-flight victory for Bayern, who will win the league by beating Hertha Berlin on Tuesday regardless of the result between Dortmund and Schalke.
At the other end of the table, Stuttgart leapfrogged Hamburg out of the relegation play-off place with a 1-0 win over Mirko Slomka's team. The result marks Huub Stevens's first win since taking charge at the Mercedes Benz Arena earlier this month.
Alexandru Maxim scored the only goal of the game in the 69th minute after Hakan Calhanoglu had been sent off for fellow strugglers Hamburg, who are now a point below Stuttgart.
Meanwhile, Borussia Monchengladbach kept hopes of a UEFA Champions League berth alive with a 3-0 win over Hertha Berlin.
Strikes from Juan Arango and Raffael and a Adrian Ramos own goal moved Gladbach into fifth above Mainz and Wolfsburg, following the latter's 1-1 home draw with Augsburg in a game that saw Kevin De Bruyne dismissed in injury time.
Bundesliga Wrap: Leverkusen´s woes continue, Frankfurt win well
23 March 2014
Bayer Leverkusen's dreadful run of form continued as they slumped to a 3-2 home loss to Hoffenheim on Sunday.
Leverkusen have now lost five home matches in a row in all competitions and not won in nine, as Sami Hyypia's fourth-placed side continue to slide towards the UEFA Europa League places.
The hosts could count themselves unlucky, as Omer Toprak had a late goal - that would have given them a 3-2 lead - wrongly disallowed, but their defensive frailties were again showed up.
The reverse fixture at Hoffenheim was marred by Stefan Kiessling's 'ghost goal', in which the forward's header crept in through a hole in the corner of the net and was controversially allowed to stand.
And Kiessling again came back to haunt Hoffenheim, cancelling out Sejad Salihovic's early penalty with a 39th-minute goal.
Kevin Volland responded immediately for Markus Gisdol's side as they took a 2-1 lead into the break.
Simon Rolfes levelled proceedings again, though, finishing a delightful team move with a curled finish nine minutes into the second half.
Leverkusen should have been in front only for Toprak - who followed up his header, which hit the post, and tapped in - to have his goal chalked off, when it was Kiessling, who did not interfere with play, who appeared to be offside.
Anthony Modeste then won it at the death for Hoffenheim, sweeping home Fabian Johnson's cross in the 89th minute, before he checked the net for holes in ironic celebration.
Leverkusen still sit fourth, but are now seven points behind the second-placed Borussia Dortmund.
Sunday's other match saw Eintracht Frankfurt win 5-2 at relegation-threatened Nuremburg.
Just one of the seven goals was scored in the first half, which also saw Ondrej Petrak substituted for the losers after suffering suspected concussion and a broken nose.
Tranquillo Barnetta put Frankfurt ahead in the 21st minute, converting Stefan Aigner's drilled cross.
Aigner also set up the second, scored by Joselu in the 49th minute, and when Alexander Madlung quickly followed that with Frankfurt's third, the match looked over.
Nuremburg hit back though, with Josip Drmic's 64th-minute goal added to by an effort from Crystal Palace loanee Jose Campana.
That set up a thrilling final 20 minutes, but a red card to Nuremburg defender Javier Pinola would swing the match back in Frankfurt's favour.
Joselu restored Frankfurt's two-goal buffer with two minutes to play and Vaclav Kadlec wrapped up the win in stoppage time as the winners moved six points clear of the relegation zone.
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has stated the club will not look to sign Schalke's Julian Draxler at the end of the season.
The European champions have been linked in recent months with the 20-year-old Germany international, who is regarded as one of the hottest prospects in the Bundesliga.
However, Rummenigge, who could see Bayern clinch the German title in midweek, has denied reports that talks have taken place with the forward and insists his club will not make a move for Draxler during the close season.
"I can assure that we will not buy Julian Draxler this summer," he told Welt am Sonntag.
"I do not know (if he wants to join Bayern). We never talked to his agents. In my opinion the public do not understand our transfer policy yet."
Rummenigge also dismissed suggestions that Bayern will look to harm rivals such as Schalke and Borussia Dortmund by signing more of their players.
Robert Lewandowski is set to join former Dortmund team-mate Mario Gotze at the Allianz Arena at the end of the campaign.
Yet Rummenigge added: "We will not buy any players from Dortmund or Schalke only to hurt them. We will buy only players who bring more quality to the club immediately.
"In the past we bought some players to be better prepared for the future because some of our players were becoming older than 30. But we will not do that anymore."
Clubs in the top two tiers of German football have voted against the introduction of goal-line technology.
Following a meeting in Frankfurt on Monday involving the 36 clubs in the divisions, the proposal failed to get the two-thirds majority required to implement the plans.
In total, nine Bundesliga clubs and 15 second-tier sides voted against the technology, with 12 clubs in each division required to back the plans for them to go through.
Chairman of the German Football Association's (DFB) referee commission Herbert Fandel explained in a statement on the association's official website: "We referees have always said that we would welcome the introduction of goal-line technology.
"It supports the referees in the most important decision of football and also takes away a little of the criticism.
"The fact that the professional clubs have now spoken mostly on the other hand, we accept of course."
Goal-line technology is already used in the Premier League and will be available to officials at this year's FIFA World Cup in Brazil.
Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge indicated that his club had voted in favour of its introduction, stating: "Democratically, we have to accept it, but we regret the decision at Bayern."
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp is another in favour, saying that "if something is introduced, then it should be in all professional leagues", while Mainz boss Thomas Tuchel was left bewildered by the result of the vote.
"For me, it is incomprehensible that it's been rejected. I can't understand it," he said.
Schalke's general manager Horst Heldt, meanwhile, insisted that the technology was not yet ready, also describing it as a "major expense".
