By Karolos Grohmann
BERLIN (Reuters) – Thomas Mueller and Thiago Alcantara struck twice as Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich thumped Werder Bremen 5-0 on Saturday to open an eight-point gap at the top with their first win in three games.
The Bavarians, who claimed one point from their previous two matches, terrorised visiting Werder with Kingsley Coman setting up three goals in an eye-catching dress rehearsal for the Champions League last-16 second leg against Juventus next week.
“It may look easy … but it was not,” said Bayern coach Pep Guardiola. “It was important to win after losing to Mainz 05 (last week).
“As for Kingsley, he is a young player but today he showed his quality. We will need such a player on Wednesday.”
Guardiola can also count on Mario Goetze again after the attacking midfielder made his comeback from a four-month injury layoff.
Thiago, plagued by injuries for the past two seasons, fired the hosts into a ninth-minute lead with his first goal in 748 days following fine work down the right from 19-year-old winger Coman.
Werder were unable to threaten without injured top striker Claudio Pizarro and Frenchman Coman set up the second goal for Mueller who volleyed in from five metres in the 31st minute.
The Germany forward, enjoying his most prolific season in attack, then grabbed his 19th league goal of the campaign when he stabbed the ball home after keeper Felix Wiedwald had spectacularly parried a 20-metre volley from Franck Ribery in the 65th minute.
LEADING SCORER
Substitute Robert Lewandowski, who had come on in the 74th minute, netted his 24th league goal of the season four minutes from time to remain the leading Bundesliga scorer.
Thiago then finished off yet another Coman cut-back in the dying seconds.
Bayern have 66 points from 26 matches with Borussia Dortmund on 58 ahead of their home game with Mainz 05 on Sunday.
Borussia Moenchengladbach moved back into the top four after a stunning goal from Raffael helped them beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-0.
The Brazilian curled a shot in from 30 metres after keeper Lukas Hradecky tried to clear the ball but sent it straight into the path of the striker in the 53rd minute.
Lars Stindl had put the hosts ahead and youngster Mahmoud Dahoud added a third goal in the 79th minute as Gladbach climbed above Schalke 04 into fourth place on 42 points, three behind Hertha Berlin who are third.
Eintracht, beaten in coach Niko Kovac’s first game, remained in the relegation playoff spot on 24 points, the same as second from bottom Hoffenheim who recorded a surprise 1-0 win over Champions League quarter-finalists VfL Wolfsburg.
Last season’s Bundesliga runners-up Wolfsburg lost further ground in their quest for a top-four finish as they stayed seventh.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; editing by Martyn Herman)