REVIEW: Gomez bags 11th career BL hat-trick

FOOTBALL - Bayern München stole the German headlines on Saturday, 10 March, as Mario Gomez became only the third player to reach 11 career Bundesliga hat-tricks. Click below for a recap of Saturday’s Bundesliga matches.

Bayern München - Hoffenheim 7-1

> Mario Gomez scored his 11th career Bundesliga hat-trick. Only Gerd Müller (a mind blowing 32) and Klaus Fischer (12) have scored more since the start of the Bundesliga (1963).

> Bayern led 5-0 at the half. They had also been the last Bundesliga side to do that, when they beat 1. FC Nürnberg 6-3 on 14 May 2005.

> At several points in the match, Bayern looked to challenge their biggest Bundesliga victory (11-1 against Dortmund in November 1971) and register only the seventh occasion on which a Bundesliga side reaches double figures.

FSV Mainz 05 - 1. FC Nürnberg 2-1

> Nicolai Müller put Mainz in front after 57 seconds, the fastest goal of the 2011/2012 Bundesliga season.

> Since rejoining Mainz, Mohamed Zidan has now scored in each his first six Bundesliga apperarances for the club.

1. FC Köln - Hertha BSC 1-0

> Three red cards drawn, most for a Bundesliga match this season, but two shy of the record (five in Borussia Dortmund v Dynamo Dresden on 1 September 1993).

> Lukas Podolski received a direct red card. Podolski, who was in the news this week over a transfer to Arsenal, was red carded for shoving opponent Levan Kobiashvili. It was his first red card in the Bundesliga. He had been sent off once for the German national team. That was in a 2006 friendly against Georgia, and remarkably, Kobiashvili was also among his opponents on that day.

VfL Wolfsburg - Bayer Leverkusen 3-2 

> Bayer Leverkusen could not overcome a Michal Kadlec own goal, a vital goal that made it 3-1, but Robin Dutt’s men must be relieved that for once it is not them losing by 7-1.

Borussia Mönchengladbach - SC Freiburg 0-0

> At one point, Gladbach looked like genuine title contenders, but they have taken only two points from a possible nine in their last three matches and they have failed to score in their last two league matches.

FC Augsburg - Borussia Dortmund 0-0

> Table leaders Dortmund are now undefeated in 19 successive Bundesliga matches, a run that equals their club record unbeaten streak (Oct 1991-March 1992).

> However, the goalless draw at FC Augsburg brought an end to their club record eight match unbeaten streak.