Espnstar - Hertha Berlin's 3-1 win over Mainz last week proved to be a false dawn for the strugglers as they were crushed 4-1 at home by Wolfsburg to remain in the bottom two.
Levan Kobiashvili put the home team in front in the 13th minute and it looked like their coach Otto Rehhagel had indeed found the secret to turn Hertha's season around, but it was not to be.
An own goal from Christoph Janker and a Patrick Helmes strike gave the Wolves a half-time lead before Mario Mandzukic and Helmes again sealed the win for Felix Magath's side.
Wolfsburg now join Stuttgart, Werder Bremen and Bayer Leverkusen in a four-way tie for fifth place as the chase for places in the Europa League next season intensifies.
Raffael could have set up Adrian Ramos to put the home side in front in the seventh minute, but he opted to shoot himself and missed the target from a tight angle.
However, Hertha went in front soon after when Anis Ben-Hatira sent Nikita Rukavstsya through and he too decided to go it alone, although his shot was parried by Diego Benaglio to Kobiashvili, who had no problem finding the open goal.
Mandzukic had a goal ruled out for offside in the 21st minute and that was a warning to the hosts, who conceded an equaliser eight minutes later, although Janker was unfortunate to divert Ashkan Dejagah's cross into his own net from the edge of the six-yard box as he tried to clear the danger.
Wolfsburg went in front five minutes later with the in-form Helmes providing a more intentional finish from Dejagah's next cross from the right.
Hertha capitulated in the second half with Mandzukic giving Wolfsburg a two-goal cushion in the 77th minute when he latched onto Christian Trasch's deflected pass to score into the far corner from a tight angle.
And like in the first half, when Berlin conceded two in five minutes, another Wolfsburg goal was just around the corner.
Helmes got it to confirm his recent return to form with goal number five in the last four games, an accurate and unstoppable shot into the top right-hand corner to wrap up victory.