Gomez routs Stuttgart

Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez scores the opening goal against Stuttgart during their Bundesliga clash in Stuttgart on Sunday.Photo: AFP

Bayern Munich striker Mario Gomez claimed a hattrick as an early Christmas present in an eight-goal thriller on Sunday as the German champions routed struggling Stuttgart 5-3 at home.
This was the Germany star's second Bundesliga hat-trick of the season as he capitalised on a poor Stuttgart defence to leave him with 12 league goals and 19 in all competitions for Bayern.
All five of Bayern's goals -- especially Gomez's three -- came from mistakes in the Stuttgart defence as coach Bruno Labbadia had a baptism of fire in his first league game in charge since taking over from Jens Keller last weekend.
Gomez opened the scoring with a well-taken strike on 31 minutes after Bayern's Thomas Mueller latched onto a mistake in midfield.
Gomez then returned the favour to set up his Germany team-mate as Mueller netted Munich's second just five minutes later.
France midfielder Franck Ribery then scored a superb individual effort when he took on the defence before unleashing an unstoppable shot on 43 minutes as it stayed 3-0 at the break.
Stuttgart fought back when second-half substitute striker Martin Harnik pulled a goal back for the hosts on 50 minutes, but Gomez struck twice in two minutes to complete his hat-trick just five minutes later.
Harnick grabbed a second before Germany squad member Christian Gentner made it 5-3 with 20 minutes remaining.
The result leaves Bayern fifth and 14 points behind leaders Borussia Dortmund, who lost 1-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, as the Bundesliga signs off for its customary winter break while Stuttgart are second from bottom.
Earlier Germany striker Patrick Helmes came off Bayer Leverkusen's bench to score the late equaliser which sealed a 2-2 draw with Freiburg to keep his side third.
The result leaves Freiburg sixth while Mainz went second on Saturday after a tense 4-2 win at wintry St Pauli.
RESULTS
Bayer Leverkusen 2 (Vidal 16, Helmes 75) Freiburg 2 (Rosenthal
24, Reisinger 65)
VfB Stuttgart 3 (Harnik 50, 64, Gentner 70) Bayern Munich 5 (Gomez 31, 52, 54, Mueller 36, Ribery 43)