Carl Zeiss Jena 0 Bayern Munich 5: Lewandowski hat-trick fires reigning champions into next round

Bayern Munich started their DFB-Pokal title defence with a 5-0 win over Regionalliga Nordost side Carl Zeiss Jena courtesy of a Robert Lewandowski hat-trick and goals from Arturo Vidal and Mats Hummels at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld.

Prolific striker Lewandowski opened the scoring within three minutes, netted a second shortly after the half-hour mark and took his tally to three shortly before the interval to all but send his side through to the second round.

Vidal and Hummels made it five after the break, the latter heading home his first goal for the club since arriving from Borussia Dortmund.

Carlo Ancelotti had to make do without wingers Arjen Robben, Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa due to injury and opted to start with Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery out wide.

Fourth-tier side Carl Zeiss Jena had recorded four consecutive league wins heading into the game and were high on confidence, hoping to spring a surprise.

They were never really able to worry Bayern, though, as the reigning Bundesliga champions were simply too much of a force and followed up last weekend’s DFL-Supercup win over Dortmund with a comfortable win.

The Bavarians made a fine start to the game and needed only three minutes to open the scoring via Lewandowski.

The Poland international failed to get his first shot on target after some great work from Ribery down the left, his miskick ending up at Muller’s feet. Lewandowski’s fellow attacker knocked the ball back into his path with a clever touch and he had no trouble firing home at the second attempt.

Bayern continued to create chance after chance following their early opener, but Jena goalkeeper Raphael Koczor pulled off a number of fine saves to deny Muller, Ribery and Lewandowski. 

There was nothing Koczor could do to keep out Lewandowski in the 34th minute, though. Dominik Bock’s poor touch after a throughball from Ribery saw the former Borussia Dortmund striker clean through on goal and he prodded past the Jena keeper from close range to make it 2-0.

Lewandowski was unstoppable at times in the first half and completed his hat-trick two minutes before the break. Ribery cut inside from the left, set up the 27-year-old on the edge of the area and he gave Koczor no chance with a low shot into the near corner.

Bayern took their feet off the gas after half-time and Jena made an encouraging start to the second half, without really managing to trouble Manuel Neuer.

They were restricted to defending again whenever Ancelotti’s men pushed forward, though, and Vidal came close to making it four when he hit the crossbar with 64 minutes on the clock, also hitting the upright later on.

But Vidal would net Bayern’s fourth after all in the 72nd minute following a quick team move. Lewandowski beat the offside trap before setting up his Chilean team-mate, who tapped home from close range to add his name to the scoresheet.

There was more to come from the away side and Hummels eventually headed the fifth past Koczor with 13 minutes left on the clock after being set up by Joshua Kimmich.