Hannover drew 0-0 at home to Stuttgart while Nurnberg beat Mainz 2-1 in the other Bundesliga fixture on Sunday.
Chances were rare between two sides who reached the knockout stages of the Europa League this season and are both keen to return next.
While Stuttgart's chances of qualifying look slim with a nine-point gap to close on sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, they do still have a DFB-Pokal semi-final with Freiburg to come in 10 days' time.
Hannover, on the other hand, need to start picking up points away from home after confirming once again their strength at the Niedersachsenstadion, where they have lost only once all season.
Nurnberg moved level on points with Hannover following a 2-1 win over Mainz, who they now trail by one.
A second-half double for Per Nilsson was enough to earn the Bavarians victory after Mainz missed a penalty in the first half, while Nicolai Muller scored the visitors' consolation on the hour mark.
The win also lifts Nurnberg into the chase for a place in Europe next season.
