Bayern extend lead to seven points with 4-0 win at Schalke

Berlin, Jan.24 (BNA): Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller were again in the goals as Bayern Munich beat bottom side Schalke 4-0 away on Sunday to increase their advantage at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points.

RB Leipzig, in second, lost 3-2 at second-bottom Mainz on Saturday when third-placed Bayer Leverkusen also went down 1-0 to Wolfsburg to give Bayern the chance to further pull away.

Mueller and Lewandowski struck either side of the break before late goals from Mueller and David Alaba added the gloss as the champions moved onto 42 points from 18 games, scoring 53 in the process.

Schalke had their moments at 0-0 but sit on seven points, 10 from absolute safety after just one win this term. Hoffenheim host third-bottom Cologne in Sunday’s late game.

Schalke were without their two new recruits – old boys Sead Kolasinac and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar – through injury with teenage American striker Matthew Hoppe again up top after five goals in three games.

The hosts made a decent start with Suat Serdar heading just wide and Mark Uth being denied by former Schalke stopper Manuel Neuer at close range.

Bayern’s Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry both also went close twice in an entertaining opening quarter, said dpa international.

Last season’s treble winners then broke the deadlock when Joshua Kimmich was afforded too much space and his perfect cross was nodded in by Mueller on 33 minutes.

Schalke were still in the game at that point and showed their newfound drive under Christian Gross but soon let themselves down defensively.

They allowed a long ball over the top – again from Kimmich – to reach Lewandowski, who shrugged off Ozan Kabak and nutmegged goalkeeper Ralf Faehrmann for 2-0 after 54 minutes.

It was the eighth away game in a row where the world footballer of the year has scored and the 11th straight match against Schalke where he has netted – both Bundesliga records.

His 23rd Bundesliga goal this term kept him on course to beat Gerd Mueller’s record of 40 in a season.

Bayern’s current Mueller headed in yet another Kimmich cross from a free-kick on 88 minutes.

A mistake from Faehrmann, who was otherwise excellent, then allowed an Alaba shot from range to sneak through in injury-time and make the winning margin exactly half of the 8-0 thrashing Bayern gave Schalke on the opening day of the season.

The clean sheet meant opposite number Neuer set a new Bundesliga record of 197 games where he did not concede.