Coutinho hits hat-trick as Bayern rout Werder Bremen

• The Brazil international equalised in the 45th minute at the Allianz Arena before Robert Lewandowski put Bayern ahead in first-half stoppage time.
• Coutinho added a third on the hour and Lewandowski bagged his league-leading 18th goal before Thomas Mueller made it 5-1.

BERLIN: Philippe Coutinho scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich thrashed Werder Bremen 6-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday, ending a run of back-to-back defeats in Germany.

The Brazil international equalised in the 45th minute at the Allianz Arena before Robert Lewandowski put Bayern ahead in first-half stoppage time.

Coutinho added a third on the hour and Lewandowski bagged his league-leading 18th goal before Thomas Mueller made it 5-1.

Coutinho completed his hat-trick 12 minutes from time as Bayern moved back to within four points of leaders Borussia Moenchengladbach, who travel to Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Borussia Dortmund closed to within two points of Gladbach following a 4-0 victory at Mainz, while second-placed RB Leipzig visit Fortuna Dusseldorf in Saturday's late game.