Bayern Munich illustrated why they are champions-elect as four goals from Claudio Pizarro helped guide them to an awe-inspiring 9-2 demolition of Hamburg.
Bayern are now just one win away from their 22nd Bundesliga title after Saturday’s destruction of a shell-shocked Hamburg which, apart from Pizarro’s contribution, featured a double strike from Arjen Robben and one apiece for Bastian Schweinsteiger, Xherdan Shaqiri and Frank Ribery.
It could have been even worse for Hamburg with the hosts 7-0 up with 35 minutes remaining, although they managed to get on the scoresheet through Jeffrey Bruma and Heiko Westermann.
The scale of victory will also have been noted in Turin with the German side facing Juventus in the UEFA Champions League quarter-final next week.
Although Borussia Dortmund’s win over Stuttgart earlier on Saturday ensured Bayern could not seal the title with a win, that did not lessen their hunger.
They took the lead after just five minutes when Shaqiri picked his spot from nearly 25 yards after being set up by Toni Kroos.
Schweinsteiger made it two in the 19th minute with Shaqiri the provider this time, crossing for the Germany international to head in at the near post.
Pizarro nearly made it three soon afterwards, but he did not have to wait long before getting his own name on the scoresheet, pouncing at the far post to bundle the ball in after half an hour.
Three minutes later, Robben effectively sealed the win when he exchanged passes with Pizarro before beating Rene Adler inside his near post.
There was time for a fifth just before half time with Pizarro on hand to score after Shaqiri’s shot hit the post.
The goalscoring continued unabated in the second half with Pizarro and Robben scoring two goals in a minute to make it 7-0.
Bayern’s biggest win of the season was complete in the 68th minute when Thomas Muller set up Pizarro for his fourth and Bayern’s eighth of the evening.
The first blot on the copybook arrived in the 75th minute when Bruma headed in Rafael van der Vaart’s cross, much to goalkeeper Manuel Neuer’s chagrin. Hamburg’s already stifled celebrations lasted a matter of seconds before Ribery grabbed Bayern’s ninth in the 76th minute.
Results
English Premier League
Sunderland 0-1 Man United
Arsenal 4-1 Reading
Man City 4-0 Newcastle
Southampton 2-1 Chelsea
Swansea 1-2 Tottenham
West Ham 3-1 West Brom
Wigan Athletic 1-0 Norwich
Everton 1-0 Stoke City
English League Championship
Charlton 3-2 Bolton
Ipswich 3-0 Leeds United
Nottingham Forest 2-2 Brighton & Hove Albion
Peterborough United 2-1 Cardiff City
Sheffield Wednesday 2-1 Barnsley
Wolves 3-2 Middlesbrough
Huddersfield Town 0-1 Hull City
Spanish Primera División
Vallecano 1-3 Malaga
Celta Vigo 2-2 Barcelona
Zaragoza 1-1 Real Madrid
Levante 1-0 Sevilla FC
Italian Serie A
Atalanta 0-0 Sampdoria
Cagliari 2-1 Fiorentina
Genoa 2-2 Siena
Inter 1-2 Juventus
Lazio 2-1 Catania
Palermo 2-0 AS Roma
Parma 3-0 US Pescara
Udinese 0-0 Bologna
Chievo 0-1 AC Milan
Torino 3-5 Napoli
German Bundesliga
Augsburg 0-2 Hannover 96
Fortuna 1-4 Leverkusen
Mainz 1-1 Werder Bremen
Freiburg 2-0 Monchengladbach
Schalke 04 3-0 Hoffenheim
Stuttgart 1-2 Dortmund
Bayern 9-2 Hamburg
French Ligue 1
Troyes 2-2 St Etienne
AC Ajaccio 2-3 Toulouse
Bordeaux 1-1 Lorient
Gaillard 2-2 Stade de Reims
Rennes 0-2 AS Nancy Lorraine
Valenciennes 3-4 Bastia
Dutch Eredivisie
Twente 1-1 NAC Breda
Utrecht 2-1 VVV Venlo
Willem II 1-2 FC Groningen
Heerenveen 2-0 Feyenoord
Portuguese Liga
Beira Mar 0-1 Olhanense
Moreirense 1-1 Estoril
Setubal 2-4 Maritimo
Academica 0-3 FC Porto
Benfica 6-1 Rio Ave