Bayern extends league lead with Hoffenheim thrashing
Undefeated champion Bayern Munich continued its seemingly unstoppable charge toward the Bundesliga title, crushing Hoffenheim 4-0 on Saturday to extend its lead at the top.
With second-placed VfL Wolfsburg losing 3-2 at Schalke 04, Bayern went seven points clear, having yet to lose in any of the three competitions it is in this season.
Mario Goetze drilled in with Bayern's first shot on goal in the 23rd minute to go joint top of the scorers' list with seven and Robert Lewandowski headed in his sixth of the campaign from a cross by Arjen Robben.
The Dutchman then added a third for Bayern, which welcomed back Bastian Schweinsteiger as a second-half substitute for his first appearance since the World Cup final having recovered from a knee injury.
Substitute Sebastian Rode completed the rout to lift Bayern to 30 points. Hoffenheim finished with 10 men following the late dismissal of Adam Szalai.
"We had problems at the start but then we hit our stride," said coach Pep Guardiola, whose team travels to Manchester City for the Champions League next week.
"But 4-0 is too much," said the Spaniard after his team set a club record having conceded just three goals in its opening 12 league matches.
Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol heaped praise on his opponent and predicted it would win the title.
"They are the best team and that is why they will be champions again," he said.
Fellow Champions League club Bayer Leverkusen beat Hanover 96 3-1 with forward Stefan Kiessling ending a drought by scoring his first league goal since August.
Leverkusen is fourth on 20, level with third-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, which lost 3-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt.
Schalke exploded into action against in-form Wolfsburg, scoring three times in the opening 25 minutes as it prepares to meet Chelsea in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Wolfsburg roared back with goals from Ivica Olic and Nicklas Bendtner and Naldo hit the bar in stoppage time but Schalke hung on to move up to sixth on 17.
