Leaders Bayern Munich set a Bundesliga record for the best start to a season with their eighth successive win on Saturday, crushing promoted Fortuna Duesseldorf 5-0 away.
A Mario Mandzukic goal, Luiz Gustavo’s close-range effort, a second-half Thomas Mueller double and one from Rafinha gave Bayern victory as champions Borussia Dortmund slumped to a 2-1 home defeat by Schalke 04, in a match marred by fan trouble.
“This was our best game of the season. Obviously I am satisfied,” Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes told reporters. “We played outstanding football from the first to the last minute, every player helping the other. We did it extremely well.”
Schalke are third on 17 points while fellow Champions League competitors Dortmund, quickly dropping out of contention, are fourth on 12 level with Bayer 04 Leverkusen.
Their derby was marred by clashes between the supporters outside the stadium as police, who used pepper spray and a water cannon to disperse them, were attacked.
Promoted Eintracht Frankfurt kept up their spectacular opening to the campaign with a 3-1 home victory over Hannover 96 to stay five points behind Bayern in second place.
Leverkusen rescued a 2-2 home draw against FSV Mainz 05 courtesy of an 87th minute Gonzalo Castro goal while VfL Wolfsburg dropped to last place, beaten 2-0 by visitors SC Freiburg to increase pressure on coach Felix Magath.
Bayern, who also set a record for the best goal difference at this stage of the Bundesliga with 26 goals for and only two conceded, got off to a quick start against the league newcomers who had only lost once beforehand.
The visitors put the ball in the net in the 17th minute with Mueller thundering in a left-footed drive after a dazzling quick passing move, but the effort was ruled offside.
The Bavarians were undeterred and got their deserved lead through Croatian Mandzukic’s seventh goal of the season which put him top of the league scorers’ table.
Mandzukic then set up Luiz Gustavo for Bayern’s second goal, heading toward goal for the Brazilian to tap in from less than a meter out.
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