Mueller scores hat-trick as Bayern hit four at Frankfurt

Thomas Mueller scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich eased past Eintracht Frankfurt 4-0 to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points.

Frankfurt defended well in the first half but their resolve was broken in the 23rd minute when a neat exchange between Franck Ribery and Robert Lewandowski allowed Mueller to poke the ball in from close-range.

An attritional first half ended with a flourish when both sides spurned chances to score; Manuel Neuer forced to make a diving save from Alexander Meier's free-kick and Lewandowski looked odds-on to score moments later, but his control let him down after Mario Goetze had done well to find the Pole from the byline.

Frankfurt pushed for an equaliser but were undone on the break when Ribery and Mueller combined again, with the German tucking in beyond the advancing Felix Wiedwald.

A lethal Mueller wrapped up his hat-trick three minutes later with Bayern's third, finishing into the bottom corner after Goetze had spotted Mueller's run, with substitute Xherdan Shaqiri adding a fourth late on.

1' - BAYERN CHANCE! Chance within a minute for Bayern as Mueller goes clean through but cannot cut the ball back to Lewandowski. Early scare for home side.

23' - GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 0-1 Bayern Munich. Bayern have the lead through Mueller! Ribery's neat one-two with Lewandowski creates the space for the Frenchman to cross low to Mueller, who scores at the second attempt after Wiedwald had saved the initial effort.

40' - FRANKFURT CHANCE! Boateng misses his tackle completely and Seferovic collects the loose ball and drills a low cross to the near post, but Dante gets back to cut it out before it reaches Hasebe.

41' - GOOD SAVE! The hosts win a free-kick and Meier's effort beats the wall and Neuer is forced to make a diving save to his right. That's as close as Frankfurt have come so far.

43' - BAYERN CHANCE! Huge chance spurned by Lewandowski, who lets the ball bounce off his foot after Goetze had raced to the byline and pulled it back for the Pole. You'd have bet on Lewandowski scoring there.

44' - FRANKFURT CHANCE! A simple long ball catches the Bayern defence out and Aigner latches onto it, but doesn't get hold of his shot and it rolls wide.

56' - GOOD SAVE! Wiedwald makes an important save from Lewandowski, whose header from Lahm's pinpoint cross was creeping in.

64' - GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 0-2 Bayern Munich. Muller makes it 2-0 to Bayern! Ribery is the provider again, poking the ball through to the Germany star, who strokes it into the bottom corner and beyond the advancing Wiedwald.

67' GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 0-3 Bayern Munich. Mueller has his hat-trick! Ribery catches Frankfurt asleep with a quick throw to Goetze, who spots the run of Mueller and the forward finishes into the bottom corner.

74' SHOWBOATING! Neuer's first act since taking the armband from Lahm is an outrageous flick under pressure from a Frankfurt attacker. His cheeky grin suggests he enjoyed that.

86' GOAL! Eintracht Frankfurt 0-4 Bayern Munich. Shaqiri makes it 4-0! Robben's run and shot is saved but he finds Rode, whose shot is diverted towards goal by the Swiss to make it four.

This was Franck Ribery's 183rd Bundesliga appearance. Sagnol (184) and Delpierre (185) are the only Frenchman to have played more games.

This is the fourth time this season that Bayern have scored four or more goals in a Bundesliga game.

Should Ribery have seen red? On another day, the Frenchman would have been dismissed for his deliberate stamp on Aigner, which went unnoticed by the referee.

Thomas Mueller (Bayern Munich) - The Germany forward was at his ruthless best today. Three chances and three goals. You can't ask for much more; a lethal performance.

Eintracht Frankfurt: Wiedwald 6; Chandler 6, Russ 6, Bamba 6, Oczipka 6, Medojevic 6, Hasebe 6, Aigner 6, Meier 6, Stendera 7, Seferovic 6. Subs: Piazon n/a, Ignovski n/a, Kittel 6.

Bayern Munich: Neuer 8; Alonso 7, Dante 7, Ribery 8, Lewandowski 6, Rafinha 6, Boateng 6, Bernat 7, Goetze 7, Lahm 7, Mueller 9. Subs: Robben 7, Shaqiri 7, Rode 7.