Mesut Ozil set up four goals and scored one as Werder Bremen thrashed Freiburg to go top of the Bundesliga.

Hugo Almeida netted twice, in the 33rd and 57th minutes, sandwiching Marko Marin's effort in the 55th.

And after his first two assists, 21-year-old rising star Ozil scored his goal in the 67th minute. Naldo converted a penalty in the 73rd minute and Markus Rosenberg joined the scoring party in the 82nd.

Bremen are now level on points (26) and goal difference (+17) with Bayer Leverkusen but have scored more goals than Leverkusen, who play tomorrow.

Freiburg suffered their fifth loss in the last six games to remain on 13 points in 13th place.

Before the game started, there was a minute of silence to commemorate the loss of German national team goalkeeper Robert Enke.

Both teams had chances in the first 10 minutes before Daniel Jansen headed off the left post from 10 yards after 15 minutes.

Ozil struck the left post himself 13 minutes later from three yards out.

Bremen finally broke through in the 33rd as Sebastian Boenisch sent a long ball down the left wing which Ozil ran down and crossed into the box from where Almeida headed home.

Marin made it 2-0 10 minutes after the break with a free-kick strike from the left edge of the area to the near left post.

Ozil set up another goal two minutes later, beating a Freiburg defender before letting Almeida blast into the far right corner from 16 yards.

Ozil scored himself with 23 minutes left to make it 4-0, running onto a long ball and going around goalkeeper Simon Pouplin before slotting home.

Six minutes later Ozil was taken down in the area by Mohamadou Idrissou and Naldo stepped up to the spot and converted the penalty.

Rosenberg completed the rout, converting Ozil's cross from the left.