Gnabry scores hat trick as Bayern beats Stuttgart 5-0

STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Serge Gnabry scored a hat trick as Bayern Munich stretched its lead in the Bundesliga to nine points with a 5-0 hammering of Stuttgart on Tuesday.

Before the game, Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann told broadcaster Sky it was “certainly not” time to congratulate his team on the title already, but the victory showed just how dominant Bayern can be.

Stuttgart survived an early string of chances for Bayern to score, and even created a couple of its own, before Gnabry curled the ball into the top-right corner in the 40th minute to open the scoring.

Thomas Müller set up Gnabry for a second goal just after halftime before a run of three goals in five minutes finished off Stuttgart. Robert Lewandowski chipped the ball over the goalkeeper in the 69th before tapping in a Gnabry cross three minutes later. Soon after, Gnabry completed his hat trick when a cross from Müller was palmed into his path by the keeper.

The game was played in an empty stadium because of state-level restrictions following a rise in coronavirus cases.

Bayern forward Kingsley Coman went off with a possible hamstring injury in the first half.

Stuttgart stays 15th after a defeat which brought Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team back down to earth following a 2-0 upset win over Wolfsburg on Saturday.

Wolfsburg’s miserable recent form continued with its sixth consecutive loss in all competitions, beaten 3-2 by Cologne. Wolfsburg led 2-1 with 20 minutes to go before Mark Uth scored in a scramble in the penalty area and Anthony Modeste gave Cologne the lead in the 89th with his second goal of the game.

Mainz swept aside struggling, 14th-place Hertha Berlin 4-0, and Arminia Bielefeld won 2-0 at home to Bochum.