Lewandowski fires Bayern to 10-point lead

Sat, Jan 30, 2021
By CIARAN FAHEY (AP Sports Writer)

BERLIN (AP) - Bundesliga top-scorer Robert Lewandowski took his tally to 24 goals and had an assist as Bayern Munich stretched its lead to 10 points with a 4-1 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Bayern was beaten by Hoffenheim - also 4-1 - in its only defeat of 2020 and was in no mood for a repeat despite the absences of midfielders Leon Goretzka and Javi Martinez due to coronavirus infections. New signing Marc Roca made a rare start.

Jerôme Boateng opened the scoring with a header in the 32nd before Lewandowski set up Thomas Müller in the 43rd.

Andrej Kramaric pulled one back a minute later for Hoffenheim, but Lewandowski scored for the ninth consecutive game in the 57th, and Serge Gnabry made sure with Bayern's fourth in the 63rd.

Leipzig can restore the seven-point gap with a win at home over Bayer Leverkusen later.

Borussia Dortmund ended its three-game winless run with a 3-1 victory over Augsburg.

Dortmund coach Edin Terzic made three changes to the team that lost 4-2 to Gladbach, with goalkeeper Marwin Hitz coming in for the injured Roman Bürki, who was heavily criticized for his performance in the Gladbach defeat.

But Hitz was picking the ball out of his net in the 10th minute when Andre Hahn fired the visitors in front.

Erling Haaland struck his penalty off the crossbar in the 21st, and Rafa Gikiewicz saved his header two minutes later, but Thomas Delaney finally made the home side's pressure count when he headed in the equalizer in the 26th.

Jadon Sancho scored in the 63rd and an own-goal from Felix Uduokhai in the 75th extended the lead.

Pal Dardai's return as Hertha Berlin coach ended in a 3-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt, Union Berlin held Borussia Mönchengladbach 1-1, and last-place Schalke drew at Werder Bremen 1-1.

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Ciaran Fahey on Twitter: https://twitter.com/cfaheyAP