Five-star Bayern Munich edge closer to 30th league title

MUNICH: Bayern Munich moved closer to a record-extending 30th league title after their Polish striker Robert Lewandowski ended a personal jinx in a 5-0 drubbing of struggling Fortuna Duesseldorf in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

The result left leaders Bayern, who are chasing an eighth successive league title, top of the standings on 67 points from 29 games, 10 ahead of closest rivals Borussia Dortmund who visit bottom team Paderborn on Sunday.

Lewandowski snapped his goal drought versus 16th-placed Fortuna when he scored for the first time against them to give Bayern a 3-0 lead in the first half after a Mathias Joergensen own goal and Benjamin Pavard header opened the floodgates.

Lewandowski made it 4-0 shortly after the break with another predator's finish before left back Alphonso Davies completed the rout in the 52nd minute after weaving past three defenders.

Former German champions Werder Bremen boosted their hopes of avoiding relegation from the Bundesliga when a spectacular goal from Leonardo Bittencourt gave them a lifeline 1-0 win at Schalke 04.

The result left Werder in 17th place on 25 points from 28 games, two points behind 16th-placed Fortuna Duesseldorf.

A lacklustre first half failed to produce any fireworks before Bittencourt, who was substituted at halftime, grabbed a potentially vital winner for Bremen in the 32nd minute when he unleashed a thunderbolt into the top corner from 25 metres.

The result left Schalke 10th on 37 points and extended their winless league run to 11 games.

It was also their fourth successive defeat since the Bundesliga resumed on May 16 after it was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic in mid-March.

Javairo Dilrosun and Krzysztof Piatek each scored as Hertha Berlin continued their unbeaten run under new coach Bruno Labbadia and climbed to ninth in the table after beating Augsburg 2-0 at an empty Olympic Stadium .

Dilrosun scored midway through the first half and Piatek added a second in stoppage time at the end of the game to see Hertha pick up a 10th point out of a possible 12 since the resumption of the German league after the coronavirus lockdown.

Defeat left Augsburg precariously placed just four points above the relegation places. They have won only one of their last nine league outings.

Hoffenheim substitute Ihlas Bebou scored with almost his first touch as they beat Bundesliga strugglers Mainz 1-0 away on Saturday to boost their hopes of qualifying for European football next season.

Bebou came on in the 38th minute for the injured Jacob Bruun Larsen and slotted home four minutes later against the run of play after collecting Diadie Samassekou's ball over the top of the Mainz midfield.

Victory drew Hoffenheim level on 42 points with VfL Wolfsburg, but kept them seventh in the Bundesliga on goal difference, while Mainz stayed in 15th place, a point above the bottom three, after their fifth game in a row without victory. Agencies