Andriy Voronin scored yet again and Hertha Berlin regained their four-point lead at the top of the German Bundesliga with an efficient victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
Voronin's goal in the 50th minute proved the winner and gave the Ukraine forward, on loan to the Berlin club from Liverpool, his 11th of the season and eighth in the last six Bundesliga games.
With their 10th straight win at home, Hertha jumped to 49 points and have a four-point lead over defending champions Bayern Munich and Wolfsburg.
Leverkusen have not won in four games and have 37 points - five away from a Europa League qualification spot.
The showdown in the German capital had the league's best team facing the Bundesliga's best road team this season, but was lacking in real goalmouth action.
Both sides showed plenty of respect for each other with Simon Rolfes' long-distance shot in the 10th minute the only opening early on.
Berlin nearly took the lead after 27 minutes as Voronin's free-kick from the left wing went to Rodnei, whose header went just wide of the right-hand post.
Leverkusen scored two minutes later through Stefan Kiessling but the striker was ruled off-side, and the same man headed just wide of the post in the 36th minute.
Voronin continued his hot scoring streak with his winning goal five minutes after the break. The Ukrainian streaked down the left side and tried to poke his shot left past Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler. The ball bounced off Adler's leg and ricocheted off Voronin's shoulder and into the goal.
Hertha goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny had a scare with 16 minutes left as Michal Kadlec's free-kick from 25 yards went over the crossbar.
Leverkusen continued to push forward looking to even the game and Germany international striker Patrick Helmes hit only the side-netting with eight minutes remaining.
A final Leverkusen chance with five minutes to play saw substitute Toni Kroos send his free kick from just outside the area well over the goal.
