BERLIN (AP) – Robert Lewandowski, the Bundesliga’s top scorer, scored a double in Bayern Munich’s 5-1 win over Cologne on Saturday to end a two-game losing streak and establish himself as the tournament leader.
Lewandowski reached 28 goals on the season and Bayern are five points clear of Leipzig, which later host Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Leon Goretzka, who has reappeared in the German league since recovering from coronavirus, assisted Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting to open the scoring at 18 minutes and later assisted Lewandowski at 34.
Goretzka received the ball from Lewandowski, turned around and slipped the ball between the legs of defender Rafael Czichos before assisting the Polish striker for the goal.
Defensive errors by David Alaba and Jérôme Boateng allowed Ellyes Skhiri to close in on Cologne after half-time, but Lewandowski buried any illusions of surprise when Thomas Müller assisted him for the second goal in the 65th minute.
Müller had entered a minute earlier when he reappeared with the club after suffering from COVID-19.
Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer almost gave Cologne a goal when he lost a ball that Dominick Drexler recovered, but the midfielder’s shot went wide.
Serge Gnabry, who joined Müller in the 64th minute, sealed the result at the 82nd and sentenced at 86.
Schalke moved closer to relegation, losing 5-1 to Stuttgart; Borussia Dortmund beat Arminia Bielefeld 3-0 and Hertha Berlin’s winless streak was extended with a 2-0 loss to Wolfsburg.
