Bayern Munich substitute Robert Lewandowski single-handedly obliterated VfL Wolfsburg by scoring five times in nine minutes, including the league’s fastest hat-trick, as the champions crushed their rivals 5-1 yesterday to extend their perfect start to six wins.
The Poland striker came on after the break and stunned Wolfsburg with three goals in four minutes, starting in the 51st, to turn the game on its head.
He struck twice more in the next five minutes, including a spectacular volley for the fastest five-goal haul in the Bundesliga’s 52-year history.
The win lifted Bayern to a maximum 18 points, three ahead of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who are in action at Hoffenheim today. Wolfsburg, who had not conceded a goal in their last four matches in all competitions, are third on 11 points.
As expected Bayern quickly took the initiative and Thomas Mueller fired narrowly wide in the 16th minute after good early work from Mario Goetze.
Wolfsburg, who had lost their last 16 matches at Bayern going into the game, responded with a chance of their own when Daniel Caligiuri floated a cross into the box and Julian Draxler failed to connect.
The roles were reversed 10 minutes later and Caligiuri took matters into his own hands when he controlled a deep cross from Draxler and thundered an unstoppable shot past Manuel Neuer.
Wolfsburg almost scored again when Neuer charged out of the box to clear a ball but chested it into the path of Josuha Guilavogui who tried his luck from 40 metres with the ball hitting the post and rolling wide.
Bayern coach Pep Guardiola brought on Lewandowski at the start of the second half and the 27-year-old forward opened his account six minutes later.
Nine minutes after that Bayern were 5-1 up and the Wolves in a state of complete disbelief as Lewandowski, the league’s top scorer two seasons ago, took his tally for this campaign to eight goals.
Bundesliga: B. Munich vs Wolfsburg 5-1; Darmstadt vs W. Bremen 2-1; H. Berlin vs Cologne 2-0; Ingolstadt vs Hamburg 0-1.
Today: 20.00 B. Leverkusen vs Mainz; B. M’gladbach vs Augsburg; Hannover vs Stuttgart; Hoffenheim vs B. Dortmund; Schalke vs E. Frankfurt.