Bayern Munich showed title pretenders Union Berlin who was boss with a dominant 3-0 home win on Sunday, which sent them back to the top of the Bundesliga.
The sides went into the game together on 43 points, but Bayern quickly put Union in their place with first-half goals from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Kingsley Coman and Jamal Musiala on his 20th birthday.
Bayern went top on goal difference from old rivals Borussia Dortmund, who had risen to the summit on Saturday after a 1-0 win at third-bottom Hoffenheim.
"We were very active in the game today. It was a good performance," Bayern captain Thomas Müller told streaming portal DAZN. "Today we weren't the leaders when the game began and therefore something had to happen."
Freiburg earlier missed the chance to move up into the Champions League places after 22 of 34 games when they were held 1-1 at home by Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern, who had Sadio Mané on the bench after three months out injured, dominated the early exchanges even if clear-cut chances were hard to carve out in the snow.
It quickly melted though and Bayern continued to press, Choupo-Moting breaking the deadlock on 31 minutes with an expert header from Coman's looping cross.
The Cameroon striker was recruited as just a back-up to Robert Lewandowski in 2020. Despite the Pole's exit, he did not begin this season as a starter following Mané's arrival and Bayern's move to a fluid front three with no fixed striker.
But the 33-year-old has taken his chance superbly, with nine league goals this term proving an out-and-out striker can still have a role.
In-form France winger Coman then rounded the goalkeeper to make it 2-0, scoring in a third Bundesliga game in a row for the first time.
Musiala tapped in on the stroke of half-time from Müller's pull back as the champions, who have won the title 10 seasons in a row, showed they will not give it up easily despite some wobbles this term.
Third-placed Union, enjoying an outstanding season having only been promoted to the Bundesliga in 2019, made some rare forays forward but lacked the verve which marked Thursday's win over Ajax Amsterdam.
"We were a little too deep and a bit too passive," midfieder Rani Khedira said, adding that playing a big Europe League game only on Thursday may have had some effect but was not an excuse.
Freiburg remain fifth on 41 points - now five behind Bayern and Dortmund.
Vincenzo Grifo opened the scoring with a free-kick for the hosts, who would have gone above RB Leipzig into fourth with a win.
The 29th-minute opener was credited to Italian Grifo, his 12th of the league season, but his free-kick actually clipped the post and went in off the back of keeper Lukas Hradecky before crossing the line.
Leverkusen levelled midway through the second half when Iran striker Sardar Azmoun volleyed in under little pressure after Mitchel Bakker had sent in a superb cross with the outside of his boot.
Lucas H?ler hit the woodwork but Leverkusen, who like Freiburg and Union are in the Europa League last 16, could also have taken the three points when Patrik Schick struck the post late on.
They lie 11th in the table, with success in Europe looking like their only aim this term having been wildly inconsistent under Xabi Alonso.
