(REUTERS) - Bayern Munich's Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben struck twice as the champions annihilated promoted Paderborn 6-0 on Saturday (February 22) to open up an 11-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.
Poland international Lewandowski, who has yet to deliver the goal flush expected from him when he joined from rivals Borussia Dortmund this season, has not been an automatic starter.
Coach Pep Gaurdiola publicly backed the striker on Friday, saying he was not always playing merely because of different systems.
Lewandowski, who was a late substitute in the goalless draw at Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League this week, paid back the trust when he plucked a superb flick from Robben to fire Bayern ahead in the 24th minute.
Then, in true centre forward fashion, he tapped in a Franck Ribery cutback 13 minutes later. Paderborn's fate was sealed when Florian Hartherz was sent off on the hour and Robben converted the penalty.
Ribery also got on the scoresheet along with Mitchell Weiser before Robben notched his 16th goal of the campaign to equal his best season tally at Bayern and climb to the top of the scorers list.
Bayern, who have scored 14 goals in their last two league games, are top on 55 points.
Marco Reus was on target again as Borussia Dortmund continued to ease relegation fears by beating bottom club VfB Stuttgart 3-2 on Friday (February 20), a third straight win sending them surging to 10th in the Bundesliga.
Gabon international Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang saw an early effort ruled out for offside before he capped an attacking Dortmund start with an easy tap-in following a superb run by Germany international Reus in the 25th minute.
Stuttgart bounced back unexpectedly when Niedermeier was brought down and Florian Klein converted the 32nd minute penalty to notch their first home goal of the year.
Ilkay Guendogan put Dortmund 2-1 up after 39 minutes following a clever flick from Japan international Shinji Kagawa.
Reus, who missed much of the first half of the season through injury but extended his contract with the 2011 and 2012 champions earlier this month, added a third goal late on after pouncing on a Timo Baumgartl mistake.
Georg Niedermeier, left completely unmarked, cut the deficit in stoppage time but the hosts ran out of time in the search for an equaliser.
Victory lifted last season's runners-up to 25 points from 22 matches ahead of next week's Champions League last 16 first leg tie with Juventus and plunged 2007 champions Stuttgart deeper into crisis, lying bottom on 18 points.
Second-placed VfL Wolfsburg, on 44 points, are in action on Sunday at home to Hertha Berlin.
