By Barry Whelan Nov 29, 2009, 17:48 GMT
Hamburg - Stefan Kiessling bagged a hat-trick as Bayer Leverkusen cruised to a 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart Sunday to open a three-point lead at the top of the German Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich meanwhile climbed to fourth with a 3-0 win at Hanover thanks to a goals from Thomas Mueller, Ivica Olic and Mario Gomez.
Leading league scorer Kiessling took his tally to the season to 12 from 14 games as unbeaten Leverkusen, who had lost the top spot to Werder Bremen Saturday, moved clear on 30 points.
Stuttgart, who remain second last, six points clear of bottom side Hertha Berlin, began brightly but confidence appeared to drain after Kiessling opened the scoring in the 22nd minute.
Jens Lehmann in goal had no chance as Kiessling volleyed in from close range after Sami Hyypia headed on a Toni Kroos free-kick.
Kroos was close to a second with a shot against the post before the midfielder found Eren Derdiyok who ran into the area to head past Lehmann in the 38th minute.
Kroos was again the creator for Leverkusen's third close to the hour, playing a one-two with Stefan Reinartz in the centre circle before evading two tackles and teeing up Kiessling who rifled the ball past Lehmann.
Kiessling completed the scoring three minutes from time by sending Lehmann the wrong way from the penalty spot after the keeper had brought down Derdiyok with a rash challenge.
'We needed the first quarter of an hour to get into the game but then you saw how we can play football,' Kiessling said.
'We are still unbeaten. We will lose at some point but you can see how we are playing and that there is harmony in the team.'
Stuttgart coach Markus Babbel said it would be 'tight' for his team unless his players soon rediscovered form.
'That was totally disappointing. It was a collective failure,' he said.
'The only positive thing is that now every player has realized that we are in a relegation fight.' Bayern Munich moved fourth, level on 24 points with fifth-placed SV Hamburg after edging Hanover who stay in the lower half of the table.
It was the first home game for Hanover since the death of goalkeeper Robert Enke, and as in last week's defeat at Schalke 04 the players wore jerseys with the number 1 on the front.
Mueller struck from close range in the 19th minute after Hanover failed to deal with a cross from the left from Olic.
Olic then headed Bayern further ahead two minutes after the break from a cross by fellow Croatian Danijel Pranjic while Gomez made it three in the last minute to ensure three points for Louis van Gaal's side after three league games without a win.
'We have had a very good week,' van Gaal told Sky pay television.
'We are back in the Champions League (after defeating Maccabi Haifa) and also a little bit in the table.
'I think the order was there and I also saw a very strong midfield. We also now have strikers who are scoring which is also important.'
Bremen, who scraped a late 2-2 draw at home to champions VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday, have 27 points in second place, while Schalke, who lost 1-0 at Borussia Moenchengladbach, are third on 25.
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