Four-goal Bayern extend Bundesliga lead

FC Bayern München returned to winning ways in the Bundesliga with a routine 4-0 defeat of Hertha BSC Berlin as second-placed VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach drew against fellow challengers Bayer 04 Leverkusen.

Jupp Heynckes's side, who drew 0-0 at TSG Hoffenheim last time out, warmed up for Tuesday's UEFA Champions League trip to SSC Napoli with a victory that was secure within the opening 13 minutes thanks to strikes by Mario Gomez (5), Franck Ribéry (7) and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Gomez added his tenth league goal of the season from the penalty spot in the 69th minute.

Bayern are now five points clear of Mönchengladbach, who were denied maximum points by André Schürrle's 87th-minute equaliser for Leverkusen. The visitors had led 1-0 and trailed 2-1. VfB Stuttgart are a point further back after Shinji Okazaki (48) and Pavel Pogrebnyak's penalty (77) ensured a 2-0 home triumph against Hoffenheim.

Bayern received another boost when Kaiserslautern, second from bottom at kick-off, won the late game 2-1 in Gelsenkirchen. FC Schalke 04, who would have gone second with a win, lost to a Dorge Kouemaha goal (72) after Christian Tiffert (30) and Klaas Jan Huntelaar (62) had traded penalties.

Elsewhere, Mario Mandžukić's scored in either half to earn VfL Wolfsburg a 2-1 success against 1. FC Nürnberg while Jan-Ingwer Callsen-Bracker's late spot-kick away to 1. FSV Mainz 05 gave FC Augsburg their first Bundesliga win ever.