Bayern score five to outclass Frankfurt

Robert Lewandowski scored his 27th goal of the season as Bayern Munich set up for Tuesday’s Klassiker with Borussia Dortmund with a 5-2 thrashing of Frankfurt on Saturday evening.

Bayern should have been out of sight before half-time but had only Leon Goretzka’s excellent finish (17) and Thomas Muller’s control and shot (41) to show for an opening 45 minutes of total domination.

Barely 50 seconds into the second period they added a third as Lewandowski turned home Kingsley Coman’s cutback, to become the joint-highest scorer across Europe’s top five leagues.

But just as it looked like a case of how many the hosts would score, a sucker-punch pair of Martin Hinteregger goals from corners (52, 55) briefly swung the momentum against them.

A moment to forget for Gelson Fernandes set up Alphonso Davies to restore Bayern’s two-goal lead within minutes (61), before Hinteregger netted his third of the night – albeit at the wrong end this time, as he bundled Serge Gnabry’s pass into his own net (74).

The win restored Bayern’s four-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga following Dortmund’s victory at Wolfsburg earlier on Saturday, and guarantees they will remain there whatever the outcome of Tuesday’s game at the Westfalenstadion. Frankfurt’s miserable run was extended to a fifth consecutive defeat, leaving them five points clear of the relegation play-off spot.

How Bayern overcame scare to prevail…

The weakened effect of home advantage has been much discussed since the Bundesliga’s return last weekend, but Bayern looked just as comfortable as ever from the off as they chased a 13th game without defeat, and extend what was already their longest streak against any of their Bundesliga opponents with an 11th straight win over Frankfurt.

They could have been ahead after 12 minutes when Lewandowski rattled the bar with a powerful effort but five minutes later, they did find the back of the net when Muller looked up from the left, spotted Goretzka’s late run into the box and teed him up to expertly blast the ball home from the penalty spot.

Chances continued to flow for the hosts, with Ivan Perisic and Lewandowski both going close before, four minutes from the break, Davies’ deep cross was chested down by Muller, and after adjusting his balance he slotted home from close-range with his second touch.

Frankfurt boss Adi Hutter had seen enough and brought on Timothy Chandler at the break, but within a minute of the restart his side were further behind. Coman was given space to run into the box and pick out Lewandowski, who appeared to all-but seal victory for the hosts with an 11th goal in his last 10 games.

The faintest of lifelines followed for Frankfurt as Hinteregger turned in from a corner at the second attempt, but four minutes later Bayern’s advantage looked in far more realistic danger as he glanced in a second from another set-piece.

For the first time in the match, the momentum swung the visitors’ way – but only until a dreadful blind pass across his own box from Fernandes provided the perfect invitation for Davies to get on the scoresheet for the first time since August.

The visitors’ frustration was compounded when Hinteregger then ruined his own afternoon by clumsily knocking Gnabry’s pass into his own net after the Frenchman had rounded Kevin Trapp.

Filip Kostic rattled the base of Manuel Neuer’s post late on as Frankfurt briefly rallied, but the emphatic scoreline was little less than Bayern deserved for twice establishing a three-goal lead against their lowly visitors.

What’s next?

Bayern face a huge test as they travel to second-placed Borussia Dortmund on Tuesday night; Kick-off at 5.30pm. Frankfurt host Freiburg on the same evening; Kick-off at 7.30pm.

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