Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich showed no signs of letting up at the top of the Bundesliga when they swatted Werder Bremen aside 4-0 yesterday in a bad-tempered match that threatened to get out of hand.
Werder were undone by three goals from counter-attacks and a David Alaba free-kick but did enough to rile the visitors to the point that defender Jerome Boateng, one of six players booked, became involved in an argument with a ball boy.
Runaway leaders Bayern, who have 64 points from 25 games, are now 14 clear of second-placed VfL Wolfsburg who host Freiburg today.
Joel Matip scored a last-minute equaliser as visiting Schalke 04 twice came from behind to hold Hertha Berlin 2-2 while Anis Ben-Hatira was booked for putting on a spider man mask as he celebrated the opening goal for the hosts.
Eintracht Frankfurt brushed past Paderborn 4-0 and Hamburg SV are hovering just above the relegation zone after having goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny sent off in the 19th minute during a 3-0 defeat at Hoffenheim.
Eugen Polanski converted a penalty following Drobny’s foul and later added a second as Hamburg were left in 15th, one place and two points clear of Paderborn who are in the relegation playoff spot.
Bayern, who have scored 34 goals in their last eight games in all competitions and thumped Werder 6-0 earlier in the season, went ahead in the 24th minute when Thomas Mueller curled the ball in from the edge of the area following a counter-attack.
Despite missing Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben through injury, the leaders were as clinical as ever and Alaba chipped in a free-kick on 44 minutes to make it 2-0.
Werder had a goal disallowed for handball in the second half and the game turned ugly with several late tackles and heated exchanges between the players.
Almost inevitably Werder were caught on the break when Lewandowski grabbed two goals in the final quarter of an hour, both set up by Mueller after lightning attacks.
Results
Augsburg vs Mainz - 0-2
B. Dortmund vs Cologne - 0-0
E. Frankfurt vs Paderborn - 4-0
Hertha Berlin vs Schalke - 2-2
Hoffenheim vs Hamburg - 3-0
W. Bremen vs B. Munich - 0-4
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| B. Munich | 25 | 20 | 4 | 1 | 70 | 11 | 64 |
| Wolfsburg | 24 | 15 | 5 | 4 | 53 | 28 | 50 |
| B. Lev’kusen | 25 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 44 | 29 | 42 |
| B. Mgladbach | 24 | 11 | 8 | 5 | 33 | 20 | 41 |
| Schalke | 25 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 37 | 30 | 39 |
| Augsburg | 25 | 12 | 2 | 11 | 33 | 32 | 38 |
| Hoffenheim | 25 | 10 | 6 | 9 | 40 | 38 | 36 |
| E. Frankfurt | 25 | 9 | 7 | 9 | 48 | 49 | 34 |
| W. Bremen | 25 | 9 | 6 | 10 | 40 | 53 | 33 |
| B. Dortmund | 25 | 8 | 6 | 11 | 31 | 31 | 30 |
| Mainz | 25 | 6 | 11 | 8 | 34 | 35 | 29 |
| Cologne | 25 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 25 | 31 | 29 |
| Hanover | 24 | 7 | 6 | 11 | 27 | 37 | 27 |
| Hertha Berlin | 25 | 7 | 5 | 13 | 30 | 44 | 26 |
| Hamburg | 25 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 16 | 36 | 25 |
| Paderborn | 25 | 5 | 8 | 12 | 23 | 50 | 23 |
| Freiburg | 24 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 24 | 33 | 22 |
| Stuttgart | 25 | 4 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 45 | 20 |
Today
Wolfsburg vs Freiburg - 15.30
B. M’gladbach vs Hanover - 17.30