Luis Diaz produced a stunning hat-trick as Bayern Munich powered to a 5-1 victory over 10-man Hoffenheim on Sunday, restoring their six-point cushion at the top of the Bundesliga.
After Borussia Dortmund’s narrow win at Wolfsburg had briefly cut the gap, Bayern responded in emphatic fashion, with Diaz proving unstoppable throughout the match. The Colombian winger also won both penalties that Harry Kane calmly converted, taking the England captain to 24 league goals and 38 in all competitions this season.
“There was a lot of noise around the team after two winless games. It was important to stay calm,” Kane said. “At this stage of the season, every three points matters. The real season starts now.”
Hoffenheim, who arrived in Munich in excellent form, suffered an early setback when Kevin Akpoguma was sent off for a foul on Diaz inside the box. Kane scored from the spot, but Bayern were briefly pegged back when Manuel Neuer’s misplaced pass allowed Andrej Kramaric to equalise.
Diaz soon swung the momentum back Bayern’s way, earning another penalty just before halftime which Kane converted, before the winger himself finished off a counter-attack in stoppage time. He added a second-half tap-in from a Michael Olise assist and completed his treble with a long-range strike late on.
The treble was Diaz’s first for Bayern and took him to 13 goals and nine assists in his debut Bundesliga season, as Bayern continued their prolific run with 79 goals in 21 league matches.
Earlier in the day, RB Leipzig climbed into fourth place with a 2-1 away win over Cologne, powered by a brace from Christoph Baumgartner. The Austrian midfielder headed Leipzig in front before striking the winner shortly after Cologne had equalised early in the second half, keeping Leipzig firmly in the race for Champions League qualification.
