BERLIN: League leaders Bayern Munich demolished Hamburg 9-2 with four goals from Claudio Pizarro and two from Arjen Robben to move within reach of Bundesliga crown with seven games to play.

Bayern, who face Juventus in the Champions League this week, won easily despite resting several key players. They were denied securing a 23rd German league title by Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 win at Stuttgart.

Bayern coach Jupp Heynches said: “We played textbook football at times today and the title cannot really slip away any more.”

Hamburg’s record-equalling heaviest defeat in the Bundesliga was sparked by an opening strike from Xherdan Shaqiri in the fifth minute.

Bastian Schweinsteiger headed Bayern’s second before Pizarro volleyed in from close range and Robben added another. Peruvian Pizarro, the Bundesliga’s all-time top foreign scorer, struck his second goal on the stroke of halftime and completed his hat-trick eight minutes after the restart with a backheel.

Dutchman Robben was again on target a minute later.

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