Robben delighted after dominant Bayern showing

Bayern Munich’s Arjen Robben felt the first half of Saturday’s 5-1 win over Schalke was among the best since he arrived at the club in 2009.

Robben hit a hat-trick while David Alaba and Mario Mandzukic also registered in the dismantling of 10-man Schalke at the Allianz Arena as the German champions recorded a 15th consecutive Bundesliga win.

Pep Guardiola’s side are now 48 matches unbeaten in the league and Robben felt, after seeing Bayern go four goals up within half an hour, that it was one of the best first-half performances he had seen at the club.

“All credit to the team. We really enjoyed it. We played with so much passion. It was one of the best halves of football I’ve seen since joining Bayern,” the club’s official website quotes him as saying.

“What pace, what aggression. Schalke never got into the match. We overran them in the first half.

“At the end of the day it’s not about records, it’s about trophies. We have to maintain our rhythm for the big games that are coming up.”

Guardiola was also satisfied with Bayern’s display as the Bundesliga champions sit 20 points clear at the top of the table.

“Our rhythm and our performance in the first half were very good,” he said.

“Congratulations to my team. Our lead has gone up by another point and we’re closer to retaining the German championship.”