Bayern routs Dinamo 5-0 in Champions League
Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring during the Champions League group F soccer match between Bayern Munich and Dinamo Zagreb in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015. AP
MUNICH, Germany—Robert Lewandowski scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich thrashed Dinamo Zagreb 5-0 in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Douglas Costa and Mario Goetze also scored in the first half as Bayern went four goals up inside the first 28 minutes of a one-sided match.
Lewandowski, who has now scored 10 goals in his last three matches, helped Bayern to a second consecutive victory in the competition and a commanding position at the top of Group F. Olympiakos has one win and one loss after beating Arsenal 3-2 in London.
“If you are concentrated from the start and you use your chances, the game is over after 30 minutes,” Bayern captain Philipp Lahm said. “We created a lot of chances, we controlled the match and we didn’t allow them counterattacks. And Lewandowski is having an incredible week.”
Pep Guardiola’s team took immediate control and went ahead through Costa in the 13th minute.
READ: Lewandowski shoots 5 goals in 9 minutes to lift Bayern
Dinamo, which beat Arsenal in its previous group game, was under huge pressure and Lewandowski found the net in the 21st minute. Goetze scored in the 25th, before Lewandowski made it 4-0 and struck again in the 55th.
With the Dinamo defense expecting a cross, Costa angled his shot inside the near post as he broke through on the left flank.
Lewandowski scored after a mistake by Dinamo defender Filip Benkovic, who tried to control the ball with his head and then slipped, allowing Thiago Alcantara to burst through and feed Lewandowski for an easy tap-in.
Goetze scored after another Dinamo mistake. The Germany midfielder cut inside, swapped passes with Kingsley Coman and shot at goalkeeper Eduardo, who let the ball slither through between his foot and glove.
Lewandowski made it 4-0 with a volley after a corner from Costa. The ball hit the underside of the crossbar and bounced inside.
His third in the 55th was the result of a neat move by Costa, whose backheel pass found Thiago and the midfielder slipped the ball to the open Lewandowski, who chipped it over Eduardo into the net.
Lewandowski had another couple of chances to raise his tally, but was denied by Eduardo, who made one point-blank save from the striker. Goetze also hit the outside of the post.
With Bayern switching to a slower gear in the second half, Dinamo took a few long-range shots but never really threatened.
Bayern can now look forward to the upcoming showdown with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Bayern tops the league with seven wins from its first seven matches.
