Robert Lewandowski hits a hat-trick as Bayern Munich hammer Hertha Berlin
Robert Lewandowski scored his first hat-trick of the season with Jamal Musiala and Thomas Müller also on target in a comfortable win for Bayern Munich against Hertha Berlin.
Bayern Munich 5-0 Hertha Berlin
Goals: 1-0 Müller (6'), 2-0 Lewandowski (36'), 3-0 Musiala (49'), 4-0 Lewandowski (70'), 5-0 Lewandowski (84')
Bottom of the table following two defeats, Hertha needed all the stars to align if they were to beat the record champions, and when Davie Selke squandered an excellent early chance gifted to him by Leon Goretzka's poor backpass, which put him one on one with Manuel Neuer, the signs were not particularly positive for Pal Dardai's men. At the other end, Müller left Alexander Schwolow no chance at all as Bayern efficiently converted their first chance of the game, carved out well by Alphonso Davies and an intelligent dummy by Lewandowski. Insult was added to injury as Hertha lost Stevan Jovetic to a foot complaint before 20 minutes was up, Javairo Dilrosun taking his place. Lewandowski then doubled Bayern's lead when his first header was pushed onto the crossbar by Schwolow and the Pole reacted with the most determination to rise above both Dedryck Boyata and Niklas Stark to head in the rebound.
Musiala picked his spot to perfection to increase Bayern's lead early in the second half, picking up Müller's pass and leaving Schwolow no chance with his seventh Bundesliga goal. Bayern continued to press and substitute Leroy Sane set up Lewandowski for his second and Bayern's fourth, turning the screw with 20 minutes still to be played. Goretzka forced a fine save out of Schwolow and substitute Kingsley Coman sent a volley into the Südkurve before Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, author of a hat-trick in the DFB Cup in midweek, had an acrobatic effort deflected behind. From the resulting corner, the unstoppable Lewandowski ghosted in to complete his first hat-trick of the season, as more salt was rubbed into Hertha's wounds. With Ishak Belfodil's goal ruled out for offside, there would be no consolation for the Old Lady as they fell to a third straight defeat of the season as Bayern and Lewandowski pick up a threatening pace.
Match stats
- Lewandowski has now scored at least once in each of his last 16 official matches for Bayern, beating Gerd Müller's historic record (he scored in 15 consecutive official matches in 1969 and 1970).
- It set another personal record for Lewandowski, who has now scored in 13 consecutive Bundesliga matches.
- Musiala reached seven Bundesliga goals at a younger age than any player other than Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz, who reached the same mark earlier on Saturday, two and a half months younger than Musiala.
- Nagelsmann has never lost a Bundesliga match against Hertha as a coach (W8, D4).
- Bayern have scored at least once in a European record 75 consecutive competitive matches. The last time they were kept from scoring was in February 2020, against Nagelsmann's former side RB Leipzig.
- Neuer kept his 205th clean sheet in the Bundesliga, breaking Oliver Kahn's record.
Watch: Nagelsmann on 'perfect' Lewandowski and Musiala
Line-ups
Bayern: Neuer (c) - Stanisic (Sarr 81'), Upamecano (Nianzou 46'), Süle, Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka - Gnabry (Coman 67'), Müller (Choupo-Moting 81'), Musiala (Sane 61') - Lewandowski
Unused subs: Ulreich, O. Richards, C. Richards, Tolisso
Out: Hernandez (knee), Pavard (ankle), Roca (ankle)
Coach: Julian Nagelsmann
Hertha: Schwolow - Zeefuik (Belfodil 61'), Boyata (c), Stark, Mittelstädt - Ascacibar, Tousart - Lukebakio (Richter 61'), Serdar (Darida 78'), Jovetic (Dilrosun 20') - Selke (Klünter 60')
Unused subs: Körber, Pekarik, Torunarigha, Jastrzembski
Out: Boateng (back), M. Dardai (ankle), Jarstein (match fitness), Piatek (ankle)
Coach: Pal Dardai
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