BERLIN — Bayern Munich opened the second half of the Bundesliga season with a 2-1 win at Hamburg Friday as Robert Lewandowski’s goals took Pep Guardiola’s side 11 points clear.
Bayern’s march to an historic fourth German league title seems unstoppable as Guardiola, who has said he will leave in May, attempts to sign off his three years as coach with the treble of Champions League, German Cup and Bundesliga titles.
Poland striker Lewandowski’s goals took his league tally to 17 this season and 25 in all competitions.
Bayern took the lead in sub-zero temperatures at Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion when referee Felix Zwayer judged Thomas Mueller had been fouled by Hamburg goalkeeper Rene Adler just inside the area when they both went for the ball.
The decision looked harsh and Adler was shown a yellow card, but Lewandowski stepped up and drilled home his 24th goal in 28 games this season on 37 minutes.
The host pulled itself level at the start of the second half. Veteran midfielder Aaron Hunt launched a towering free-kick which both Bayern’s Xabi Alonso and Hamburg’s Pierre-Michel Lasogga failed to connect with and the ball bounced over Manuel Neuer into the Munich net on 53 minutes.
Things went from bad to worse for Bayern as Germany center-back Jerome Boateng called to be replaced after appearing to injure his right groin in a tackle.
But the scores were level for just eight minutes as Mueller drove home a Javi Alonso cross, Lewandowski stood in the ball’s flight path and stabbed it home from close range from a position which was right on the offside line with an hour gone.
His second goal of the game left him with 17 goals in 17 German league games this season, but still one short of Borussia Dortmund’s Gabon forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
This was Bayern’s 70th victory in 87 Bundesliga games under Guardiola.
Rennes downs Ajaccio
An own goal in added time from Gazelec Ajaccio defender Roderic Filippi gave Rennes a 1-0 win in the French league in Rolland Courbis’ first match as coach of the Brittany side.
Filippi beat goalkeeper Clement Maury after substitute Kamil Grosicki controlled a long ball and was about to take a second touch when the defender prevented him from shooting but hit the ball against the post which then crossed the line.
Courbis, who left Montpellier during the Christmas break, was appointed on Wednesday after Rennes was knocked out of the French Cup.
The win provisionally lifts Rennes to third place, 23 points behind runaway leader Paris Saint-Germain.
Sanabria scores a hat trick
Tonny Sanabria scored a hat trick as Sporting Gijon rolled to a 5-1 rout of Real Sociedad in the Spanish league Friday.
Victory ended a five-game losing streak for the promoted club, which provisionally rose out of the relegation zone.
Sociedad’s troubles started just 15 seconds after kickoff when goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli spilled a cross, letting Carlos Carmona tap in his first goal of the season.
Dani Ndi had Sporting ahead 2-0 before the 10-minute mark before Sociedad’s Carlos Vela pulled one back in the 37th.
But Sanabria struck his first before halftime and the Paraguayan added two more goals in the second half.
Sociedad’s first loss in four rounds left it in 13th place before the rest of the teams play this round. — Agencies
