Patrik Schick continued his run of scoring in every Bundesliga season match when he fired Bayer Leverkusen to a 2-1 victory over Freiburg, who suffered their first defeat on Sunday.
Schick converted a low cross from Ibrahim Maza who beat several defenders on the right. The 76th-minute strike meant that Schick has scored once in each of the six league matches.
The outcome created a four-team battle at the top of the table, with champions Bayern Munich leading Borussia Dortmund on goal difference and last weekend's leaders Freiburg and Leverkusen one point behind.
Freiburg host Bayern, who routed RB Leipzig 6-1 on Saturday, next Sunday.
Unbeaten Freiburg had the better start and led in the 14th minute when Derry Scherhant converted a low cross from Philipp Treu at the far left post - the two new German internationals combining well under the eyes of national team coach Jürgen Klopp.
But Leverkusen were level five minutes later when Schick played a cross from Moussa Diaby on with his heel to Maza who scored into the bottom left corner.
Schick blazed over in the 59th but chances remained sparse in a tactical affair before Maza returned the earlier favour from Schick by finding the striker for the winner which makes him joint league top scorer with Werder Bremen's Niclas Füllkrug.
Maza was denied another goal late on by a big save from goalkeeper Mio Backhaus while Freiburg's unbeaten run was over for good when Lucas Höler's diving header went wide on the final play.
The match was interrupted for several minutes early on because Freiburg fans threw tennis balls onto the pitch in a protest after being denied bringing all their fan utensils into the stadium.
The late game is between bottom club Borussia Mönchengladbach, who are still on zero points, and second last Hoffenheim.
