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A routine win for Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga took the Bavarians one step closer to winning an eighth consecutive league title, with Hoffenheim on the receiving end of a 6-0 walloping in front of their fans.
The defending champions came into the fixture on a good run of form, having gone unbeaten in their last 12 matches consecutively, with the last of those coming in a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Chelsea in the Champions League.
It took the visitors just two minutes to lay down their marker, with Serge Gnabry continuing from where he left off in midweek for his 19th goal of the campaign. Further goals by Joshua Kimmich, Philippe Coutinho, and youngster Joshua Zirkzee put the result beyond The Villagers at half-time.
The second half was all about damage limitation for Alfred Schreuder's men, but Coutinho got his brace, while Leon Goretzka came off the bench to put the icing on the cake by finishing off a beautiful team move.
The last 10 minutes of the game featured bizarre scenes, as the match was halted for some time due to the away fans hurling hateful banners against Hoffenheim owner Dietmar Hopp over his breaking of the 50+1 rule, and upon resumption, the players passed the ball around until full-time, but it took nothing away from what was a spectacular Bayern Munich performance.
With the victory, Bayern went four points temporarily clear at the summit, and several players played key roles in this convincing victory. Here, we shall be highlighting three standout performers from Bayern Munich's win over Hoffenheim.
#3 Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller began this season at a crossroad, with his uncertain future at the club leading to the loss of his position in the national team. Erstwhile manager Niko Kovac did not seem to have him in his plans, and there was speculation that the 30-year-old could bring his 20-year association with Bayern Munich to an end.
However, he has enjoyed a new lease of life since the appointment of Hans-Deiter Flick and gave another superb individual performance against Hoffenheim.
Despite not getting on the scoresheet, Muller was one of the brightest sparks for Bayern Munich, and it took just two minutes for him to make a mark, playing an excellent cross to the back post which Serge Gnabry finished on the volley. He doubled his assist count when he squared into the box for Coutinho to convert 11 minutes into the second half.
With the pair of assists, Thomas Muller soared to the top of the assists charts in the Bundesliga with 16, and nobody in Europe's top five leagues has managed more.
The Weilheim native was substituted right after that, and his performances are putting to shame those who suggested that his time at the top was over.
#2 Serge Gnabry
After failing to hit the mark at Arsenal, Serge Gnabry has been reborn in the Bundesliga, and this season has seen him become one of the most important players as Bayern Munich attempt a clean sweep of trophies.
The 24-year-old is an ever-present figure at both club & international level, and was one of the stars as Bayern Munich decimated Chelsea during the week.
Gnabry has been in good goalscoring form, and this much was evident when he acrobatically converted Thomas Muller's second-minute cross from an acute angle to open the scoring.
Throughout the match, he proved to be a thorn in the flesh of Steven Zuber, keeping the full-back on the backfoot, which prompted his substitution at half-time.
In addition to getting a goal, Serge Gnabry also weighed in with four key passes and completed five dribbles. With him in this form, the Bavarians might not miss the services of Robert Lewandowski too much.
#1 Philippe Coutinho
Having started the midweek clash against Chelsea on the bench, Philippe Coutinho was handed his 14th league start of the season at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
It has not been smooth sailing for the Brazilian international in the last two years, but he showed no signs of his perils and gave a five-star display against Hoffenheim. Having gone eight games without scoring, the former Liverpool man got his first goal since December when he found the roof of the net via a deflection after a scramble in the box.
A brace was notched when he converted Muller's centre with a one-time finish, and although his future at the Allianz Arena might be uncertain, the 27-year-old reminded everyone of his quality on the day.
