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| Robert Lewandowski of FC Bayern Muenchen celebrates after scoring their team's second goal from the penalty spot during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern München and 1. FC Union Berlin at Allianz Arena on March 19, 2022 in Munich, Germany. |
Robert Lewandowski scored twice and Tanguy Nianzou netted his first Bayern Munich goal as the Bundesliga leaders recovered from two straight league draws with an easy 4-0 home win over Union Berlin.
The defending champions, seeking a 10th title in a row, restored their advantage at the top to seven points, pending Borussia Dortmund's trip to Cologne on Sunday.
Kingsley Coman opened the scoring on 16 minutes on Saturday with a fast, swerving effort which goalkeeper Andreas Luthe should still have done better with.
We played very well, we played together, we defended together. We were very efficient...and created lots of chances, Coman told Sky.
Nianzou, 19, then headed in a corner on 25 minutes with Luthe getting a hand to the ball and again slightly at fault.
The French centre back has struggled since arriving from Paris St Germain in 2020 but the absences of Benjamin Pavard (coronavirus) and Niklas Sule (thigh injury) opened the door against Union.
Eighth-placed Union could not find a final pass as Bayern upped the ante on Dortmund with seven games left for the leaders to play.
Luthe's terrible game continued when he crashed into Lewandowski and the striker netted from the spot just before break.
Soon after the interval, the world player of the year then scored his 31st of the league season after good work by Jamal Musiala.
Elsewhere, strugglers Hertha Berlin won 3-0 at home to Hoffenheim to move out of the automatic drop zone, despite new coach Felix Magath missing the game after contracting coronavirus.
Magath's new British assistant Mark Fotheringham, relegated with Magath at Fulham in their last job in Europe together in 2014, was in charge on the Hertha bench and was energetic in his support.
VfB Stuttgart stormed back from 2-1 down to win 3-2 at home to Augsburg to leave Hertha still in the relegation play-off spot.
Mainz beat Arminia Bielefeld 4-0 with goal-line technology wrongly awarding them another goal, which was taken away on video review.
Bielefeld slipped into the second automatic relegation spot. They are a point behind Hertha, who are level on points with Stuttgart and Augsburg.
Rising Covid-19 figures in Germany also played minor havoc with other clubs.
Freiburg missed Nicolas Hofler in a 0-0 draw at bottom side Greuther Furth and moved fourth ahead of RB Leipzig welcoming Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.
