Lewandowski helps Bayern crush BVB

Bayern Munich

Robert Lewandowski overtook Pierre-­Emerick Aubameyang in the race to be the Bundesliga's top­scorer this season after netting twice in Bayern Munich's 4­-1 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

Runaway league leaders Bayern dominated the clash of Germany's giants and the win leaves them 10 points clear with six games left as Munich edge closer to a fifth straight league title.

Lewandowski netted either side of half-­time at the Allianz Arena to leave

him with 26 league goals this season ­­ one more than main rival Aubameyang who failed to find the net.

Veteran wingers Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery also netted in Bayern's moraleboosting win before Wednesday's crunch Champions League quarter­final, first-­leg, tie against Real Madrid.

Lewandowski gave the all­-clear after coming off clutching his right shoulder in the second half.

"We didn't want to take a risk, the shoulder is bruised and I hope I'll be 100 percent again for Wednesday," the striker told Sky.

Bayern defender Jerome Boateng said it was the perfect response after Tuesday's 1­-0 Bundesliga defeat at Hoffenheim.

"We wanted to give an answer after Tuesday, we wanted to control the game," said Boateng.

"Real will be totally different in the Champions League."

Bayern took the lead after just four minutes when Thiago Alcantara's deft pass found Philipp Lahm on the right for Bayern's captain to fire in a cross and Ribery drilled his shot home.

The Bavarians doubled their lead on 10 minutes when Lewandowski launched a freekick from outside the area, but Dortmund's Ousmane Dembele ducked to allow the ball to fly over the wall and hit the net.

In a frantic opening half, Dortmund pulled a goal back when Raphael Guerreiro unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot on 20 minutes as it stayed 2-­1 at the break.

Robben extended their lead with a great shot off his left foot just after the break.

Lewandowski then added his second, and Bayern's fourth goal, when he was brought down by Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Burki and converted the resulting penalty on 68 minutes.

The defeat leaves Dortmund, who host Monaco in the last eight of the Champions League on Tuesday, fourth in the table and 18 points behind Bayern.

 

Earlier, Yussuf Poulsen's goal deep in added time gave 10­man RB Leipzig a 1­0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

LEIZPIG’S LATE WINNER

Second­-placed Leipzig had captain Willi Orban sent off for a second yellow card on 88 minutes for a foul on Leverkusen's Germany forward Kevin Volland.

Despite the numerical disadvantage, Leipzig claimed the winner through their Scandinavian combination as Swedish playmaker Emil Forsberg put in the cross ­­ his 16th assist of the season ­­ for Denmark's Poulsen.

"We would have been happy with a point, but it was very impressive how the team showed the will to win in added time," said RB coach Ralph Hasenhuettl.

"Now we're in a great position for our next game," he added with RB at home to fifth-placed Freiburg next Saturday.

Leipzig's victory was a big step towards direct Champions League qualification next season and they are now seven points ahead of third­-placed Hoffenheim, who crashed to a 2­-1 defeat at Hamburg.

Aaron Hunt stole the show for Hamburg ­­ who are unbeaten in their last nine home league games ­­ with both goals as Hoffenheim suffered only their third defeat this season.

Wolfsburg, the 2009 champions, are just one point above the bottom three after a 4-­1 hammering away to mid­-table Schalke, for whom Guido Burgstaller netted twice.

Germany striker Mario Gomez scored his seventh goal in six games with a late consolation penalty for Wolfsburg.

Mainz are only outside the relegation places on goal difference after their 1­-0 defeat at Freiburg, whose striker Nils Petersen scored the second-­half winner off the bench.

The victory lifted Freiburg into the Europa League places in fifth above Cologne, who lost 3­-2 at home to local rivals and fellow European hopefuls Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Captain Lars Stindl scored the winner nine minutes from time for Gladbach after Cologne had twice come from behind to equalise.