Bayern hammer Hanover, Dortmund go second

BERLIN (AFP) –

Bayern Munich’s striker Mario Gomez (R) scores the fifth goal for Munich against Hanover’s goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler (L) during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich vs Hanover 96 in Munich.

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich romped to a 5-0 win at home to Hanover 96 on Saturday to extend their lead at the top to nine points as champions Borussia Dortmund moved up to second with a win at Mainz.

Having secured their place in the knock-out phase of the Champions League in midweek with a draw at Valencia, Bayern ran riot at the Allianz Arena and added a point to their lead.

“We were deadly, aggresive and we played with a high level of concentration,” enthused Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes. “We really turned it on in both halves.

“Everything has to be earned at the top level and I am really pleased for Dante, Javi Martinez and Mario Gomez.”

Bayern set another Bundesliga record of 34 points after the first 13 games and the hosts took the lead with only four minutes gone when Spain midfielder Javi Martinez netted his first goal since his August transfer from Athletic Bilbao.

Germany midfielder Toni Kroos doubled the Bavarians’ lead with a superbly taken half-volley from a Philipp Lahm cross on 24 minutes.

The third came on 37 minutes when French winger Franck Ribery fired home while Brazil centre-back Dante made it 4-0 when he met Kroos’ free-kick at the far post on 63 minutes.

Germany striker Mario Gomez needed just 26 seconds to claim the fifth after coming off the bench on 67 minutes for his first appearance for Bayern in three months following ankle surgery.

Dortmund came from behind at Mainz to claim their third straight away win.

Mainz’s Marco Caligiuri put the hosts ahead on four minutes, but Germany midfielder Marco Reus equalised when he hit the top corner from 17 metres out just eight minutes later.

Bayern Munich’s striker Mario Gomez celebrates the fifth goal against Hanover 96 in Munich, southern Germany. Munich romped to a 5-0 win at home to Hanover 96 to extend their lead at the top to nine points as champions Borussia Dortmund moved up to second with a win at Mainz.

Dortmund went ahead just before the break when Mario Goetze put Poland striker Robert Lewandowski into space to flick the ball over the Mainz goalkeeper and claim the three points and wrest second place from Ruhr neighbours Schalke 04.

“I have to pay my team a huge compliment and I am delighted with the way they are playing,” said Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp, whose team face Bayern in Munich next Saturday. “It was an incredibly intense game. It was a psychological test of our character and we passed it.”

Schalke dropped to third after drawing 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt, who are fourth, in Gelsenkirchen.

Dutch striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who has been linked with a move to Arsenal in the winter break, opened the scoring on 11 minutes to claim his first Bundeliga goal in 580 minutes.

The lead lasted only 105 seconds as Stefan Aigner headed Frankfurt level, but Eintracht were reduced to 10 men when Karim Matmour was dismissed for a second yellow card on 87 minutes.

Wolfsburg held Werder Bremen to a 1-1 draw as Wolves’ director of sport Klaus Allofs met the north German team he left earlier this month after 13 years.

It was goalless in the Bundesliga’s first Franconian derby as Nuremberg were held by their neighbours Greuther Fuerth as both sides finished with 10 men.

On Friday, Hamburg’s Dutch midfielder Rafael van der Vaart looks to hgave been ruled out for the rest of this year after suffering a suspected hamstring tear in his team’s 2-0 defeat at Fortuna Duesseldorf.

Hamburg are ninth in the league, while Duesseldorf, 13th, earned their first home win this season since their promotion — their first home victory in the Bundesliga for 15 years.