Thomas Muller brace helps Bayern Munich to Hannover rout

Thomas Muller scored twice as Bayern Munich opened up a 19-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga table with a comfortable 4-0 victory away to Hannover.

Pep Guardiola's men capitalised on Bayer Leverkusen's 3-1 defeat to Wolfsburg on Saturday to extend their lead at the summit of Germany's top flight.

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Muller opened the scoring midway through the first half, drifting into the penalty area unmarked before heading home a Rafinha cross on 25 minutes.

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Guardiola's side missed two chances to extend their lead shortly after, but Thiago Alcantara struck at the third time of asking, latching onto Bastian Schweinsteiger's clipped ball to rifle past Ron-Robert Zieler.

The hosts should have halved the deficit early in the second half, only for Bayern goalkeeper Tom Starke to tip a Mame Biram Diouf header past the post from 10 yards.

The close shave acted as a wake-up call for the visitors, who put the result beyond doubt minutes later, Muller receiving Mario Mandzukic's first-time back-heel and firing home to bag his brace.

Mandzukic sealed the victory on 66 minutes by leaping highest to head past Zieler and cap another comfortable victory for the runaway leaders in Germany.