Bayern Munich reinforced their dominant position at the top of the Bundesliga with a devastating 5-1 victory over TSG Hoffenheim on Sunday, as Luis Diaz scored a stunning hat-trick and Harry Kane converted two penalties in a one-sided affair at the Allianz Arena on Matchday 21.
The match was effectively decided in the 17th minute when Hoffenheim defender Kevin Akpoguma received a straight red card, leaving the visitors to play with ten men for over 70 minutes. Kane stepped up to convert the resulting penalty in the 20th minute, giving Bayern an early lead. Andrej Kramaric briefly restored hope for Hoffenheim with an equalizer in the 35th minute, but Kane struck again from the spot just before halftime to restore the advantage.
Luis Diaz then produced a masterclass display, completing what amounted to a full house performance with three goals and two assists. He won both penalties that Kane converted, and then took matters into his own hands with goals in the 47th minute, 62nd minute, and 89th minute to seal a comprehensive victory. Kane's brace took his tally to the top of the European goalscoring charts.
Borussia Dortmund kept the pressure on with a 2-1 victory at Wolfsburg, Serhou Guirassy scoring a dramatic late winner in the 87th minute. Julian Brandt and Konstantinos Koulierakis had earlier found the net for the visitors, closing the gap on Bayern to nine points. RB Leipzig climbed to fourth place after a 2-1 win at Cologne, where Christoph Baumgartner scored twice to boost Champions League qualification hopes.
St. Pauli earned a vital 2-1 victory over VfB Stuttgart to boost their survival prospects, with Manolis Saliakas and Danel Sinani on the scoresheet. Hamburg recorded their first Bundesliga away win in over seven years with a 2-0 triumph at Heidenheim, while Mainz defeated Augsburg 2-0 thanks to two Nadiem Amiri penalties to move clear of the relegation zone.
Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 1-1 draw at Borussia Monchengladbach, while Freiburg edged Werder Bremen 1-0 courtesy of a Vincenzo Grifo goal. Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt also shared the points in a 1-1 draw, with late goals from both sides producing a dramatic finish.
With a nine-point lead and 13 matches remaining, Bayern's march toward an unprecedented 14th consecutive Bundesliga title appears unstoppable. Dortmund's victory kept them in the hunt for second place, while Leverkusen and Leipzig are locked together on 29 points in the battle for Champions League qualification. At the bottom, Bremen's defeat dropped them into the relegation playoff spot, while Hamburg's historic away win offered hope of a remarkable return to the top flight.
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