Bayern Munich's 2-0 win over Hoffenheim was overshadowed by the news that Javi Martinez faces a spell on the sidelines with a knee injury.
Two goals from Robert Lewandowski saw the Bavarians re-establish their eight-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga, while Hoffenheim are rooted to the bottom.
But with key league and cup fixtures on the horizon, the loss of another defender will be of great concern to Bayern coach Pep Guardiola.
Martinez's name was surprisingly absent from the team sheet, although he was inside the Allianz Arena for Bayern's 500th game in the stadium and took to Twitter to allay fears he will be missing for a long time by saying it is "not a serious injury".
Typically for Bayern, they ensured the focus was not on their defence but rather on attack, with Arjen Robben lifting a shot onto the roof of the net during a bright start by the hosts.
Thomas Muller twice shot straight at Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann before a sustained spell of pressure resulted in Bayern taking the lead.
Douglas Costa's low cross was converted in true predator's style by Lewandowski, and Hoffenheim's resistance was broken after little over half an hour.
An Andrej Kramaric shot which flew straight into Manuel Neuer was a warning to Bayern that maybe more than one goal was going to be needed, and Holger Badstuber should have provided it early in the second half with a free header that he sent wide of the far post.
Kramaric caused a few hearts to skip a beat moments later when he broke through, turned inside his marker and shot just inches wide of the far post.
Eduardo Vargas headed a corner just over as Hoffenheim started to cause a few problems, but Lewandowski settled Bayern's nerves with his second of the game, lifting the ball over Baumann from Philipp Lahm's pass.
Arturo Vidal hit the woodwork as Bayern looked to turn the screw, but Hoffenheim's hopes had been shattered enough by Lewandowski's brace - his second in as many games since the winter break.
No stoppage time was played with even the referee convinced Hoffenheim were not going to find a route back into the game, no matter how long they kept playing for, with the final whistle sounding on Bayern's 17th win in 19 Bundesliga matches this season.