Bayern routs Hoffenheim before game is marred by away fans

BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich routed Hoffenheim 6-0 away in a Bundesliga game that both sides refused to play to the end after the home side’s billionaire backer was insulted by a section of the traveling fans on Saturday.

Referee Christian Dingert twice suspended play after a banner calling Dietmar Hopp a “son of a whore” was displayed, among others, in the Bayern block. Bayern players and coaching staff protested furiously with the fans before play eventually resumed.

The last minutes were spent with the teams kicking the ball around casually among themselves — Bayern was already 6-0 up — with Hopp on the pitch, flanked by Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, being applauded by the home fans.

Earlier, while they were still playing, 18-year-old Joshua Zirkzee scored on his first start for Bayern and Philippe Coutinho added two to help the side open a four-point lead at the top of the table.

The visitors dominated from the off and raced into an early lead through Serge Gnabry and then Joshua Kimmich in the first seven minutes.

Zirkzee had been given his chance due to Robert Lewandowski’s injury and duly took it by scoring Bayern’s third goal in the 15th minute. The Dutch forward stayed cool and turned to elude a defender before scoring his third league goal from five meters. Bayern’s top scorer Lewandowski is out for around four weeks with a fracture below his left knee.

Coutinho scored Bayern’s fourth with a deflected shot in the 33rd.

The visitors’ dominance was such that Hoffenheim was fortunate not to be down by more at the break.

Coutinho grabbed his second goal just after the second half started, with a volley from Thomas Müller’s cross, and the Brazilian was involved in the next goal as he played in Corentin Tolisso to set up Leon Goretzka in the 62nd.

But then the game was interrupted after fans in the Bayern block displayed banners with crude insults about Hopp — as some Borussia Mönchengladbach fans had done the weekend before in reaction to Borussia Dortmund fans being sanctioned by the German soccer federation for also displaying similar banners. Most Gladbach fans reacted angrily to the signs.

Bayern’s players remonstrated with the supporters before the game was allowed continue. Rummenigge looked embarrassed and put his arm around Hopp to show his solidarity.

The game was suspended a second time a short time later as another defamatory banner was displayed. The whole Bayern team raced over to remonstrate with the fans. Coach Hansi Flick, assistant coach Hermann Gerland and sporting director Hasan Salihamidžić were visibly angry about the enforced interruption.

The game eventually resumed again but there was no more soccer played.

Elsewhere, Jadon Sancho’s 15th-minute goal was enough for Dortmund to beat visiting Freiburg 1-0 to stay four point behind Bayern.

Julian Brandt did well to lay the ball off for Thorgan Hazard, who went past a number of defenders before giving Sancho an easy finish — he scored with his shinbone — for his 14th league goal of the season.

Lars Stindl scored twice to help Borussia Mönchengladbach win 3-2 at Augsburg to consolidate fourth place, and Mainz defeated bottom side Paderborn 2-0.

Cologne was hosting Schalke in the late game.