Berlin: Bayern Munich produced a performance of champions to humble Borussia Dortmund 5-0 on Saturday and return to the top of the Bundesliga.
Mats Hummels, Robert Lewandowski, Javi Martinez and Serge Gnabry all struck for Bayern before the break as Dortmund fell apart defensively. But for the saves of Roman Buerki and the woodwork, the deficit could have been even greater.
Dortmund, who arrived in Munich as table-toppers and could have gone five points clear of Bayern with victory, managed to prevent further embarrassment until Lewandowski struck again in the final minute.
Bayern are chasing a seventh consecutive title and now lead second-placed Dortmund by one point with six games remaining.
Niko Kovac’s side were boosted by the return of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and David Alaba from injury while Dortmund had Abdou Diallo available and recalled Lukasz Piszczek at right back after a long injury.
The Pole, however, was far from sharp having not played since early February and had a torrid time at the hands of Kingsley Coman.
Hummels nodded the 10th minute opener against his former club from a corner, having glanced a similar chance wide, and seven minutes later Lewandowski, another Dortmund old boy, pounced on an error from Dan-Axel Zagadou to double the lead with his 200th Bundesliga goal.
It could have been a different game had Mahmoud Dahoud not struck the post after six minutes when fed by Marco Reus on the break. “We have played catastrophically,” captain Reus told Sky television.”Honestly I have no explanation for it. Bayern were quite clearly better.”
Buerki saved from Lewandowski and Hummels either side of Mueller heading onto the bar but Martinez’s fine finish from the edge of the box made it three.
The cheers had hardly finished when Gnabry headed in Mueller’s precise cross.
“There were an awful lot of good players on the pitch today,” said Hummels while Lewandowski added “we have played really well and shown strong football.”
Zagadou’s misery was ended by coach Lucien Favre at half-time, though Piszczek was sent out to suffer until the 69th minute.
Lewandowski completed the rout with a late tap-in and Bayern could turn their attention to a party hosted late on Saturday in a Munich nightclub by defender Jerome Boateng’s magazine.
Club officials had been critical of the party before the game but Bayern ensured they had something to celebrate.
Elsewhere third-placed RB Leipzig twice came from behind en route to winning 4-2 at Bayer Leverkusen. Emil Forsberg struck a decisive penalty and a wonderful Matheus Cunha solo goal sealed the victory to keep Leipzig three points clear of fourth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. Leverkusen led twice through Kai Havertz, the first a penalty, but Marcel Sabitzer and Timo Werner restored parity.
“We didn’t play well in the first half, and can be happy that we were only 2-1 down,” said Leipzig coach Ralf Rangnick. “We didn’t have a grip on the game.”
Leverkusen are eighth on goal difference behind Werder Bremen, who are away to fifth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday. Gladbach will try to keep pace with Frankfurt, who won 2-1 at Schalkethanks to Luka Jovic’s penalty nine minutes into injury-time. A handball was punished after a lengthy VAR consultation and Jovic converted with the last kick of the game.
“It seems as though the whole world is against us,” said Schalke’s interim coach Huub Stevens.
Earlier Suat Serdar levelled Ante Rebic’s opener for Eintracht but he was dismissed with a second yellow card for conceding the foul which led to the decisive penalty. — dpa
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