Portuguese strike Hugo Almeida struck twice with Marko Marin and man of the match Mesut Özil making it 4-0. Defender Naldo converted a 73rd-minute penalty before Markus Rosenberg completed the rout eight minutes from time.
Schalke 04 moved into third place with 25 points after a hard-fought 2-0 win over Hanover 96, which was playing its first match since the death of their keeper Robert Enke.
Jefferson Farfan headed in the first and substitute Jan Moravek who came on for the Peruvian striker, added a second with his first touch in stoppage time. Hoffenheim is two points behind in fourth after defeating Cologne 4-0. All the matches started with a minute’s silence in memory of Enke, who committed suicide the Tuesday before last week.
Bremen took the lead against Freiburg through Almeida who headed in a cross from Özil in the 33rd minute.
Freiburg keeper Simon Pouplin’s spectacular saves allowed them to go into the break with a one-goal deficit but Bremen shot out of the blocks in the second half, doubling their lead with a well-struck Marin free-kick in the 55th.
Almeida made it 3-0 two minutes later and Özil beat Pouplin from close range before Naldo scored from the spot in the 73rd and Rosenberg netted.
