Fabio Vieira scored in the final minute of stoppage time to give 10-man Hamburg a 2-1 home Bundesliga win over Stuttgart on Sunday.
Hamburg's first win since early October took them four points clear of the relegation spots.
Former Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi converted a stoppage-time penalty to spare Eintracht Frankfurt's blushes in a 1-1 draw at home to lowly Wolfsburg.
Mainz remained rooted to the bottom after a 4-0 thumping at Freiburg in which they also had Paul Nebel dismissed.
Robert Glatzel put promoted Hamburg in front midway through the opening half, blasting in a right-footed shot after Alexander Rossing-Lelesiit cleverly beat three defenders in midfield before laying on the assist.
Former Brighton striker Deniz Undav had Stuttgart level early in the second-half, pouncing to tap in the rebound from a well-hit Jamie Leweling shot for his sixth goal in three league games.
With Hamburg reduced to 10 men when Rossing-Lelesiit picked up a second yellow with nine minutes remaining, Stuttgart pushed for a winner but were caught upfield when Fabio Balde released Arsenal loanee Vieira to score from close range.
Glatzel praised the "unbelievable" home fans in Hamburg's 57,000-strong Volksparkstadion for helping push the side to victory.
"The atmosphere here is so unique. I've seen it here before, but it's always something truly special" he said.
Wolfsburg had lost eight of their previous nine but were the better side in Frankfurt and should have opened the scoring when Mohamed Amoura somehow chipped a pinpoint Christian Eriksen cross over the bar.
With 66 minutes gone, Sael Kumbedi looped a delightful ball across the face of goal to Aaron Zehnter, who volleyed through Frankfurt goalkeeper Michael Zetterer's legs for the opener.
In the fourth minute of stoppage time, though, a VAR review showed a foul on Arthur Theate in the box, earning Frankfurt a penalty.
Belgium forward Batshuayi converted to snatch a draw but the point was not enough to lift Frankfurt past sixth-placed Stuttgart and back into the European placings.