Best Team Performances, 22 Jan: Bayern are back, Lazio maintain pace
It's fair to say that it's been far from a smooth season for Bayern so far; with Niko Kovac gone and a series of poor league results helping to create a genuine Bundesliga title race for the first time in years, they very much feel like a team in transition.
But they utterly destroyed Hertha Berlin on Sunday from the first minute. Possession, passing, shooting, and Expected Goals were all dominated by the Bavarians and were allowed to run free by some weak defending from the hosts. Thiago netted his first goal in 51 weeks, Robert Lewandowski netted from the spot and, overall, temporary coach Hansi Flick can be very pleased with his afternoon.
Trabzonspor are on an excellent run at the moment, winning five out of five in all competitions, and they were in scintillating form when destroying Kasimpasa 6-0.
The resistance from the away side was minimal, in truth, but Anthony Nwakaeme's two glorious curling shots were a highlight, Sosa's well-placed free-kick glorious, and Alexander Sorloth's hat-trick a true poacher's special. Top scorers in the Super Lig now with 41 in 18 matches, they could have just played their way into the title reckoning.
Just a week ago Sheffield Wednesday recorded a superb 2-0 away win at Championship leaders Leeds United, but that was blown away by a Blackburn Rovers side with real upward momentum.
Granted, the early red card for Massimo Luongo tipped the balance in favour of Rovers, but they still went about their business ruthlessly. Lewis Holtby kicked things off before adding another on half-time, while goals from Sam Gallagher and Darragh Lenihan either side of an own goal allowed the travelling fans to bear witness to their biggest away win for over half a century.
Zoran Kvrzic's red card at the start of the second half transformed a match which had been in the balance inter a rout for Alanyaspor. Some neat finishing from Georgios Tzavellas and Tasos Bakasetas set them on their way, before ex-Newcastle man Papiss Cisse put his team out of sight.
A neat cameo from Junior Fernandes off the bench sealed the deal, the second in particular taking advantage of some static defending to round off an afternoon's work that didn't look likely at half-time.
Dealing strictly with Italian opposition, Lazio haven't lost since September; their Europa League season was poor but in Serie A, Supercoppa and Coppa Italia they have been quite simply unstoppable.
Ciro Immobile is in astounding form, netting 26 times in all competitions including 23 in the league, and he humiliated a woeful Sampdoria team with another hat-trick.
Claudio Ranieri's Samphad no answer to the relentless nature of the home attack, who netted five times with only eight shots on target. Juventus may now be looking at Lazio, rather than Inter, as the main threat to their Scudetto.