Mario Gomez, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Franck Ribery gave Bayern a 3-0 half-time lead.

Gomez claimed his second and Bayern's fourth in the 68th minute as the home side cruised to victory and keeper Manuel Neuer claimed his ninth clean sheet of the season in the league.

A Klaas Jan Huntelaar double helped Schalke secure a 3-1 win over Hoffenheim that saw them climb to second place.

Raul fired Schalke ahead on 28 minutes and, after Vedad Ibisevic's 63rd-minute equaliser, Huntelaar struck twice in three minutes, the first coming from the penalty spot, to secure victory.

Reigning champions Borussia Dortmund had to settle for a 1-1 draw at Stuttgart and are five points behind Bayern.

Lukasz Piszczek grabbed an equaliser for Dortmund at the end of the first half after Serdar Tasci had given Stuttgart a 22nd-minute lead.

Marco Reus scored the goals that gave Borussia Monchengladbach a 2-1 win over Hannover. Emanuel Pogatetz's 26th-minute equaliser for Hannover came five minutes after Reus' first and his second, on 51 minutes, settled the match.

Pierre-Michel Lasogga's late strike gave Hertha Berlin a 3-2 win at Wolfsburg.

Hertha led 2-1 at half-time. Raffael fired them ahead on 27 minutes, Mario Mandzukic levelled four minutes later, but Levan Kobiashvili's penalty made it 2-1 on 37 minutes.

Wolfsburg equalised six minutes from time through Marcel Schafer but Lasogga struck a minute later with a winner.

Werder Bremen were 3-1 winners at Mainz. The home side led through Niko Bungert's 23rd-minute strike but Claudio Pizarro equalised six minutes later.

Aaron Hunt fired Bremen ahead a minute into the second half and Sebastian Prodl wrapped up victory eight minutes from time.