Pep Guardiola says Bayern Munich are improving from game to game after opening a four-point lead in the Bundesliga on the back of their perfect Champions League record.
Bayern secured their second Champions League win on Tuesday with a 1-0 win at CSKA Moscow then enjoyed a 4-0 romp at home to Hannover in the German league on Saturday with Robert Lewandowski and Arjen Robben both scoring twice.
Bayern were rarely troubled at home and dominated Hannover even with Thomas Muller and World Cup winner Mario Gotze left on the bench, as well as Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger out injured.
Guardiola’s side have now not conceded a goal in their last seven games in all competitions as they look to win a third straight Bundesliga title.
“We’re happy with the result,” said the Bayern coach, who is in his second season in Munich.
“Hannover were third or fourth in the table (before kick-off) and played with five at the back, which wasn’t easy.
“We scored four, but it could have been more. The most important thing is that every game we’re playing a little better than before.
“We’re playing more and running less, so I’m happy with that.”
Munich were 2-0 up after just 13 minutes as Lewandowski chested down a long ball and drilled his shot into the bottom corner, then Robben added a second after a trademark run through the heart of the Hannover defence.
Lewandowski netted again just seven minutes before the break after coolly controlling a Juan Bernat pass and hitting the goal’s left corner.
Bayern kept up the pressure in the second-half as Robben fired home his second with 11 minutes left.
“It was a good game, we played really aggressively going forward and didn’t give our opponents a chance,” said Robben.
“Hannover only wanted to defend, but they didn’t manage to put the breaks on us. It’s nice to give our fans four goals, but we could have scored more.”
Guardiola will take his squad for their traditional drink at Munich’s world-famous Oktoberfest on Sunday and the Bavarians go into the international break in rude health – and arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund struggling in 13th place.
Bayern can further their stranglehold on the league with matches against Werder Bremen and Borussia Monchengladbach later this month.
They can also take a big step towards the Champions League’s knock-out phase with a victory at AS Roma on October 21.
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre, six-cylinder
Transmission: six-speed manual
Power: 395bhp
Torque: 420Nm
Price: from Dh321,200
On sale: now
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Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
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The specs: Lamborghini Aventador SVJ
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Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 770hp @ 8,500rpm
Torque: 720Nm @ 6,750rpm
Fuel economy: 19.6L / 100km
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Engine: 1.6-litre 4-cyl turbo
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MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, second leg
Roma 4
Milner (15' OG), Dzeko (52'), Nainggolan (86', 90 4')
Liverpool 2
Mane (9'), Wijnaldum (25')
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
BULKWHIZ PROFILE
Date started: February 2017
Founders: Amira Rashad (CEO), Yusuf Saber (CTO), Mahmoud Sayedahmed (adviser), Reda Bouraoui (adviser)
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: E-commerce
Size: 50 employees
Funding: approximately $6m
Investors: Beco Capital, Enabling Future and Wain in the UAE; China's MSA Capital; 500 Startups; Faith Capital and Savour Ventures in Kuwait
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Director: James Gray
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5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
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9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
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Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
