A hat-trick from German international striker Stefan Kiessling sent unbeaten Leverkusen top of the Bundesliga on Sunday after blitzing hapless Stuttgart 4-0.
But Bayern Munich also served notice they intend to have a say in the title race despite a sluggish start, whipping Hanover 3-0 away to jump up into fourth spot and delight coach Louis van Gaal.
“We are back to where Bayern should be,” van Gaal said.
“We have had a very good week,” he added in allusion to a midweek European win over Maccabi Haifa which left the Bavarians in with a chance of overhauling Juventus in their group.
Jupp Heynckes’ Leverkusen moved on to 30 points, three clear of Werder Bremen, who had gone top on Saturday after a 2-2 home draw with reigning champions Wolfsburg.
Kiessling took his league haul to a league best 12, volleying home the first on 22 minutes after ex-Liverpool defender Sami Hyypia headed on.
Eren Derdiyok headed the second seven minutes before the break past Stuttgart ’keeper Jens Lehmann.
Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel was powerless to stem the tide as Toni Kroos picked out Kiessling on the hour for the third.
Lehmann then dragged down the marauding Derdiyok in the box three minutes from time to allow Kiessling the chance to complete his treble from the penalty spot before taking the crowd’s ovation a minute from time as he gave way to Patrick Helmes, returning from injury.
Leverkusen are hoping to stay the course and finally lift the title after several near misses — most notably in 2002 when they came second in the league as well as losing the Champions League final and the German Cup final.
Stuttgart in contrast are second from bottom.
In brushing Hanover aside Bayern emphatically ended a run of three draws to leapfrog Hamburg on goal difference and move fourth on 24 points.
The atmosphere was colored for Hanover by the match being their first at home since the recent suicide of their Germany international keeper Robert Enke.
Thomas Muller notched Bayern’s opener after 19 minutes, converting a cross from Ivica Olic for his eighth goal of the season.
Olic headed the crucial second two minutes after the break and Mario Gomez put the icing on the cake in injury time as Bayern reduced the gap on Leverkusen to six points.
German Bundesliga
Team | P | GD | PTS | |
1 | Bayer Leverkusen | 14 | 21 | 30 |
2 | Werder Bremen | 14 | 19 | 27 |
3 | Schalke 04 | 14 | 8 | 25 |
4 | Bayern Munich | 14 | 11 | 24 |
5 | Hamburg SV | 14 | 10 | 24 |
6 | Hoffenheim | 14 | 12 | 23 |
7 | Mainz | 14 | 2 | 23 |
8 | VfL Wolfsburg | 14 | 2 | 22 |
9 | Borussia Dortmund | 14 | -1 | 21 |
10 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 14 | -4 | 19 |
11 | Borussia M’gladbach | 14 | -5 | 18 |
12 | Hannover 96 | 14 | -3 | 16 |
13 | SC Freiburg | 14 | -13 | 16 |
14 | Cologne | 14 | -8 | 13 |
15 | Nurnberg | 14 | -9 | 12 |
16 | VfL Bochum | 14 | -12 | 12 |
17 | VfL Stuttgart | 14 | -9 | 11 |
18 | Hertha Berlin | 14 | -21 | 5 |
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