Veteran Claudio Pizarro struck four as Bayern moved to within two points of a 23rd Bundesliga title in a crushing 9-2 victory over desperately poor Hamburg on Saturday evening, as Jupp Heynckes’ men roared to a tenth league win out of ten since the mid-season break and warmed up in scintillating style for the crunch Champions League meeting with Juventus on Tuesday.
The 71,000 capacity crowd at the Allianz Arena saw the champions-elect score five without reply in a stunning first-half show against the outclassed visitors. Xherdan Shaqiri handed his side a perfect start with a fifth-minute opener, before Bastian Schweinsteiger doubled the lead on 19 minutes and Pizarro netted the third with half an hour played. Arjen Robben continued the first-half rout after 33 minutes, with Pizarro making it five on the stroke of half-time.
The goals just kept on coming in the second half, as Pizarro, Robben and Pizarro again made it 8-0 with 20 minutes still to play. Jeffrey Bruma did score for otherwise supine HSV a quarter of an hour from time, but FCB raced up the other end and sub Franck Ribery netted FCB’s ninth with a fine solo effort. Heiko Westermann nodded Hamburg’s second consolation four minutes from the end, but it could do nothing to disguise Munich’s utter superiority on the day.
Saturday’s victory, Bayern’s 23rd in the league this season, takes the champions-elect onto 72 points from 27 games, 20 points clear of second-placed Dortmund with only 21 points still on the table. The Bavarians are back in action on Tuesday evening at home to Juve in the Champions League quarter-final first leg, with FCB aiming to wrap up the Bundesliga title once and for all away to Eintracht Frankfurt next Saturday.
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