BERLIN: Bayern Munich’s Robert Lewandowski got a hat-trick to make it 300 Bundesliga career goals as he steered them to a 4-0 win at Cologne on Saturday that restored a six-point lead at the top.

The Bavarians, chasing a record-extending 10th consecutive league title, bounced back from last week’s loss to Borussia Moenchengladbach and have 46 points from 19 games with Borussia Dortmund in second place on 40.

Bayern Leverkusen climbed to third place on 32 courtesy of their 2-1 victory at Gladbach with and Robert Andrich and Czech striker Patrik Schick on target.

Hoffenheim came into the weekend in third and harbouring hopes of returning to the Champions League for the first time since 2018-19 but losing to Union Berlin 2-1 didn’t help.

RB Leipzig continued their climb, rising to seventh with a 2-0 win at VfB Stuttgart as Portugal striker Andre Silva bagged his fifth goal in as many league games.

VfL Wolfsburg ended their run of six straight league defeats with a goalless draw at home to Hertha Berlin while Mainz stayed seven games unbeaten at home with a 1-0 win over Bochum.

Bayern’s Bundesliga top scorer Lewandowski rifled in from a Thomas Mueller assist in the ninth minute after Cologne’s Ondrej Duda had lost possession, to set a league record as Bayern have now scored in 66 consecutive Bundesliga matches.

Corentin Tolisso tightened Bayern’s grip on the game with a fine shot into the top left corner in the 25th before Leroy Sane, back after a positive test for the coronavirus, set up Lewandowski for two more goals in the second half.

Published in Dawn, January 17th, 2022