Josep Guardiola hailed Bayern Munich's best
Bundesliga performance this season after his side
crushed Schalke 4-0 on Saturday to stay second in the
league.
Bayern joined Borussia Dortmund on 16 points, as the
leading side could only draw 1-1 away to another
Bavarian side, Nuremberg, and lose its 100% record.
"That was our best Bundesliga performance of the
season so far. We totally dominated one of the
strongest teams in Germany," said coach Guardiola.
"We did very well. I'm satisfied and proud of this
performance and my players."
Schalke, like Bayern, had won in the opening round of
the Champions League group stage in midweek but had
no answer to the European and German champion.
Read: Dortmund smash six past Hamburg
Vice-captain Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the opener
on his return from injury, converting Arjen Robben's
21st-minute corner, and striker Mario Mandzukic made
it 2-0 at halftime with a header from David Alaba's
cross.
Second-half goals from France midfielder Franck Ribery
and substitute striker Claudio Pizarro sealed Bayern's
31st league match without defeat and ended the home
side's run of four wins in all competitions.
"Four-nil at home is a hiding and not we wanted at all,"
said Schalke coach Jens Keller. "We started very, very
well, and had 20 very good minutes. But then we were
hit by a double strike and we never recovered from it."
Dortmund, losing finalist in last season's Champions
League, could not bounce back from a midweek defeat
against Italian side Napoli.
Nuremberg had not won in five previous matches, and
went behind eight minutes before halftime to a free-
kick by defender Marcel Schmelzer.
Read: Penalty drama as Bayern wins UEFA Super Cup
However, Per Nilsson canceled that out six minutes
after the break against a Dortmund side which had key
players Robert Lewandowski and Henrikh Mkhitaryan
on the bench, rested after their European exertions.
One point behind the top two, Bayer Leverkusen also
has five wins from six after winning 4-1 at Mainz.
Australia striker Robbie Kruse scored twice and set up
another for Lars Bender before Stefan Kiessling headed
his fifth goal this season.
Hannover stayed fourth after beating Ausgburg 2-1 at
home thanks to a late penalty from Hungary midfielder
Szabolcs Huszti.
Hamburg, which reportedly hopes to appoint former
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk to replace the
sacked Thorsten Fink, slumped to a fourth successive
defeat as striker Nils Petersen netted both goals in a 2-0
win for Werder Bremen.
Another former Bayern striker, Ivica Olic, also scored
twice to take his league tally to four as sixth-placed
Wolfsburg beat Hoffenheim 2-1.
The Croatian's double came after Anthony Modeste
joined Kiessling, Mainz's Nicolai Muller, Stuttgart's
Vedad Ibisevic and Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick
Aubameyang on a Bundesliga-leading five goals.
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