Bayern Munich vs. Hannover: Score, Grades and Reaction from Bundesliga Game

Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben each bagged a brace as Bayern Munich wrapped up Oktoberfest in style on Saturday, beating visiting Hannover 4-0 at Allianz-Arena.

As a match, this Bundesliga contest was all but over after just 13 minutes when Robben followed up Lewandowski’s sixth-minute opener with a goal of his own, and shortly before the interval, the latter completed his double to make it 3-0.

Robben then rounded out the scoring in the 79th minute after capitalising on a deflection off Christian Pander in front of the Hannover net.

Lewandowski delivered the first blow of the drubbing after only six minutes when he turned in his third goal of the season.

Having timed his run to cleverly beat the offside trap, the Poland striker controlled Rafinha’s exceptional, arcing ball before before finishing cleanly past Hannover goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler.

It was an incisive start for Bayern, who were just getting started.

After Xherdan Shaqiri’s ballooned effort from Zieler’s right, Robben doubled the hosts’ advantage in the 13th minute when he pounced on a giveaway out of the Hannover defense, ran goalward with his head up and struck an accurate shot inside the far corner.

Seven minutes later Xabi Alonso—who touched the ball 73 times in the first half (statistics courtesy WhoScored.com)—quite nearly made it 3-0 with a well-placed shot from the halfway line that forced a back-tracking Zieler to tip the ball over the crossbar after being caught off his line.

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Xabi Alonso almost did a Xabi Alonso http://t.co/MREEVXLDMZ

— Football Centre (@FootbaIlCentre) October 4, 2014"

Hannover came as close to settling into the opening period as they’d get in the next few minutes, although their modest attempt at getting a foot-hold in the match was disrupted shortly after the half-hour mark when Robben, having surged past Christian Schulz, hit the side netting.

It seemed a matter of time until Bayern got their third goal of the afternoon, and in the 38th minute, Lewandowski scored his second after bringing down Shaqiri’s overhead pass and stroking the ball into the near corner.

Hannover forward Joselu quite nearly pulled one back for the guests just prior to the half-time whistle, but after beating the offside trap, his shot from in close was saved by Manuel Neuer.

After making a pair of changes at the break, the guests were finally able to steady themselves, and in the 54th minute, Hiroshi Kiyotake earned the side’s first corner after beating Juan Bernat down the right.

Michael Sohn/Associated Press

But the set-piece was easily dealt with by the hosts, who proceeded to re-establish their pattern of possession and embark on a glorified training session for what remained of the encounter.

Robben—eager for his second—slalomed into the Hannover goalmouth in the 64th minute, only to have his route to goal blocked off, and two minutes later, Lewandowski’s shot from in close took an important deflection off Marcelo.

But Bayern were never going to be denied their fourth goal of the affair, and 11 minutes from time Robben found himself in good position to take the ball off Pander in the Hannover goalmouth, stretch himself past Schulz and beat Zieler with a left-footed finish.

The Dutchman was denied his hat-trick in the 87th minute when Zieler did well to smother his free-kick from just outside the 18-yard box, and less than 60 seconds later, the ‘keeper made his fifth save of the day when he denied substitute Sebastian Rode’s header.

Grades

Starting XI	Rating
Substitutes	Rating
Manuel Neuer	7.2
Rafinha	7.7
Mehdi Benatia	7.4
Dante	7.4
Juan Bernat	7.7
Philipp Lahm	7.7
Xabi Alonso	7.6
David Alaba	7.5
Arjen Robben	10
Robert Lewandowski	8.8
Xherdan Shaqiri	7.8
Claudio Pizarro	6.6
Sebastian Rode	6.7
Gianluca Gaudino	6.6

Starting XI	Rating
Substitutes	Rating
Ron-Robert Zieler	6
Hiroki Sakai	6.4
Marcelo	5.9
Felipe	5.8
Christian Schulz	6
Miiko Albornoz	5.6
Manuel Schmiedebach	6.2
Ceyhun Gulselam	6.8
Hiroshi Kiyotake	6.1
Artur Sobiech	6.6
Joselu	5.9
Christian Pander	5.9
Leonardo Bittencourt	5.6
Jan Schlaudraff	5.6

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