Borussia Dortmund bounced back from Der Klassiker humiliation to strengthen their grip on a Champions League spot with a 3-0 home win over Stuttgart on Sunday.
Crushed 6-0 by Bayern Munich last time out, Peter Stoger's side needed a morale-boosting three points and got exactly that courtesy of goals from Christian Pulisic, Michy Batshuayi and Maximilian Philipp.
BVB gained an early measure of momentum as they welcomed back Marco Reus, who missed the implosion at Bayern with an adductor problem, for just his sixth Bundesliga start of the season.
And while the effects of last weekend were evident in a nervy opening, their concerns over becoming Stuttgart's fourth straight away victim were eased by a fortuitous Pulisic opener, the United States international seeing an intended cross drop over a red-faced Ron-Robert Zieler and in.
Batshuayi turned the lead into a comfortable cushion with his fourth goal in as many Bundesliga outings before Philipp poked in at the second attempt to complete the scoring in the 59th minute.
Those goals ensured Stuttgart boss Tayfun Korkut tasted defeat for the first time since his January appointment as BVB, now just one point shy of second-placed Schalke, look to leapfrog their fierce rivals when the two meet at Veltins Arena next Sunday.
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