Robert Lewandowski has now netted 17 goals for Bayern Munich this season after his double left the Bundesliga leaders six points clear with a 3-0 thumping of Augsburg yesterday.
Lewandowski, who has dyed his hair silver, underlined his status as the Bundesliga’s top scorer by netting either side of the break in Munich to leave him with 13 goals in 12 league games this season.
Bayern looked impressive with Lewandowski showing off his finishing skills after Arturo Vidal gave the hosts a deserved lead after 31 minutes at the Allianz Arena.
Vidal struck after the ball ricocheted around Augsburg’s penalty area as Lewandowski, then Mats Hummels failed to get their shots away before the Chile midfielder hit the back of the net.
Lewandowski grabbed his first by firing home Vidal’s final pass just before the break, then grabbed his second on 49 minutes when he converted Joshua Kimmich’s pinpoint cross.
The victory was a good warm-up for Wednesday’s Champions League match at Anderlecht and increases Bayern’s lead over second-placed Leipzig who drew 2-2 at ten-man Bayer Leverkusen.
Germany striker Timo Werner converted an early penalty, but the hosts equalised when Jamaica midfielder Leon Bailey got in behind the defence and fired home a minute before the break.
Leipzig were furious as the equaliser came even their midfielder Naby Keita was down injured.
Emil Forsberg converted a penalty on 54 minutes to restore Leipzig’s lead after Benjamin Henrichs was sent off for using his hand to save a shot on the line.
But a wonderful Kevin Volland volley on 74 minutes put Leverkusen level despite the numerical disadvantage. A draw was not the best result for Leipzig before Tuesday’s Champions League match at Monaco.
Striker Mark Uth rescued a point for fourth-placed Hoffenheim with a 91st-minute goal, converting a superb Serge Gnabry cross to seal a 1-1 draw at home to Eintracht Frankfurt, who are sixth.
Frankfurt had taken the lead when Kevin-Prince Boateng hit a super first-half solo effort, snapping up a stray pass and slamming home his shot from outside the area.
Cologne remain rooted to the bottom after their 1-0 defeat at mid-table Mainz, who took the lead when Daniel Brosinski netted a first-half penalty but played the last 20 minutes with 10 men after Italian defender Giulio Donati was sent off for lashing out.
Wolfsburg remain unbeaten in the last nine games with a 3-1 win at home to Freiburg as Turkey midfielder Yunus Malli netted twice in the home win which left the hosts 13th.
Borussia Dortmund stay third despite suffering a third straight defeat on Friday by crashing 2-1 at VfB Stuttgart.
Dortmund striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was suspended for disciplinary reasons and Stuttgart went ahead with five minutes when Chadrac Akolo scored after a mix up between Dortmund defender Marc Bartra and his goalkeeper Roman Burki.