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Six-gun champions

Bayern Munich ended a three-game losing streak in emphatic style against Hamburg in their first match since coach Louis van Gaal’s end-of-season departure was announced.

Arjen Robben was Bayern’s hero with a hat-trick before being removed early in view of Tuesday’s Champions League tie with Inter Milan.

Franck Ribery added the fourth before Thomas Muller grabbed a fifth for a dominant Bayern.

Heiko Westermann’s late own goal compounded Hamburg’s woes and moved Bayern back up to fourth in the Bundesliga, just two points adrift of third-placed Hannover and their minimum aim of a place in the Champions League next season.

It took a while for Bayern to get going, but after half an hour of sparring with Hamburg, they started to take the initiative.

Mario Gomez should have put them ahead in the 35th minute, but after doing the hard work in beating Frank Rost, he sent his shot onto the post from a tight angle.

The ball fell to Muller, who rattled his shot against the crossbar.

The woodwork came to Hamburg’s rescue for a third time moments later when Rost pushed Daniel van Buyten’s effort onto the bar.

But Bayern took the lead in the 40th minute with Robben’s accurate shot under the crossbar finally breaking the deadlock.

The Dutchman grabbed his and Bayern’s second two minutes into the second half with a free-kick which neither Muller nor Gomez got to, but Rost also let the ball go past into the back of the net.

Robben completed his hat-trick eight minutes later when he exchanged passes with Ribery before providing the finish on the turn.

Ribery got in on the act nine minutes later with Robben this time the provider for the Frenchman, who lifted his shot past Rost, who came out of his goal to meet him.

And Muller added the fifth 11 minutes from time when he slotted his shot through the legs of Rost after being set up by Hamit Altintop.

An own goal from Westermann completed the scoring in the 85th minute, giving Bayern a morale-boosting win ahead of Tuesday’s crucial Champions League tie which will make or break their season.

Hamburg coach Armin Veh, meanwhile, may not now last until the end of the season when he has already announced he will be leaving.

Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com

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Brazil striker Luis Fabiano has rejoined former club Sao Paulo from Sevilla.

Luis Fabiano, who is currently sidelined for around six weeks with a knee injury suffered in last weekend’s defeat to Athletic Bilbao, has agreed a four-year deal and will cost the Brazilian club €7.6 million.

The 30-year-old Luis Fabiano enjoyed a hugely successful three-year spell at Sao Paulo earlier in his career, scoring 118 goals in 160 games before moving to Porto in 2004.

After a short-lived spell in Portugal, the forward moved to Sevilla, where he scored 106 goals in all competitions and helped the Andalusian club win six trophies, including two UEFA Cup and two Copa del Rey crowns.

In August Luis Fabiano, after months of transfer speculation linking him with a move away, signed a two-year contact extension with Sevilla tying him to the club until 2013.

This season the former Ponte Preta and Rennes hitman has not been an automatic starter for Sevilla, but remains their joint-leading scorer in La Liga with 10 goals.

Luis Fabiano, who made financial sacrifices to help push through the move, said: “Money is not everything in life. Nothing could pay for how happy I am to once again be able to wear the shirt of the team closest to my heart.

“I owe everything I have to Sao Paulo. I’m going to sweat for this shirt and I’m going to score many goals. I’m already thinking about coming out of the dressing room tunnel at the Morumbi stadium.”

Luis Fabiano is set to be presented by Sao Paulo on March 30.

Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com