Bayern Munich set a new Bundesliga record on Saturday to claim their eighth straight victory since the start of the season with a 5-0 win at Fortuna Duesseldorf to stay top of the league.
Both Bayern and Mainz had held the record of seven consecutive wins in previous seasons, but Munich went one better in Duesseldorf.
It was also the 300th Bundesliga victory for Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes thanks to goals by Croatia's Mario Mandzukic, Brazil's Luiz Gustavo and Rafina, plus two from Germany's Thomas Mueller.
Despite second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and Schalke 04, third, also winning, Bayern remain five-points clear at the top.
Bayern went ahead on 28 minutes after Franck Ribery pass split the defence and found striker Mandzukic unmarked on 28 minutes to slot home.
Enjoying 80 percent possession, Bayern doubled their lead on 36 minutes.
Mueller fired the ball into the box and Brazil midfielder Gustavo enjoyed a simple tap in with Duesseldorf goalkeeper Fabian Giefer at his feet, desperately trying to scramble away the danger.
Mueller grabbed Bayern's third on 55 minutes after a good pass from Ribery.
In the dying minutes, Fortuna's defence folded as Mueller grabbed his second on 86 and Rafinha claimed the fifth a minute later.
Schalke enjoyed a rare 2-1 win at title-holding neighbours Borussia Dortmund in the 141st Ruhr derby.
The Royal Blues took an early lead when Dutch forward Ibrahim Afellay volleyed home on 14 minutes at Signal Iduna Park stadium in front of 80,645 fans.
Schalke, clearly the better side, doubled their lead 120 seconds into the second half when an excellent pass from Lewis Holtby on the halfway line put midfielder Marco Hoeger away.
The 23-year-old sprinted clear of the Dortmund defence and drilled the ball past Borussia's despairing goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller.
Having started with a 4-4-2 formation, Borussia then switched back to a 4-2-3-1 attack which paid off when Poland striker Robert Lewandowski headed home on 55 minutes to put the hosts back in the game, but it was not enough.
Defeat leaves defending champions Dortmund 12 points behind leaders Bayern and four points behind Schalke in the league.
Frankfurt enjoyed their sixth win in eight games with a 3-1 win at home to Hanover having scored two goals after only 18 minutes through Algeria midfielder Karim Matmour and defender Sebastian Jung.
Hanover pulled a goal back through Mohammed Abdellaoue on 43 minutes, but Eintracht netted their third on 82 minutes thanks to a header from Alexander Meier.
Freiburg enjoyed a 2-0 win at Wolfsburg, while Bayer Leverkusen drew 2-2 at home to Mainz.
On Friday, Hoffenheim drew 3-3 with Greuther Fuerth while on Sunday, Bremen host Moenchengladbach, Nuremberg are home to Augsburg and Stuttgart are at Hamburg.
Source: AFP
