After Leverkusen captain
Simon Rolfes had scored a seventh-minute own goal, Gomez found the net in the
28th and 44th minutes plus in stoppage time for Bayern to reclaim third place
in the standings.
Eren Derdiyok pulled one back
for Leverkusen in the 62nd, but Franck Ribery extinguished hopes of an unlikely
comeback 13 minutes later in Bayern's first game since firing Louis van Gaal as
coach.
Leverkusen remains second
behind Borussia Dortmund, which can extend its lead to eight points by beating
Freiburg at home in the late game.
Bastian Schweinsteiger and
Franck Ribery overcame injury worries to start, and it was Schweinsteiger's
header from a corner by Ribery that struck the unfortunate Rolfes in the face
before going into the net.
Leverkusen slowly came into
the game with some slick passing moves, before Arturo Vidal's ill-advised back
heel in his own penalty area gifted possession to Thomas Mueller. The German
international spotted Gomez, who flicked the ball inside the left post from
close range.
Mueller also created the next
goal, racing onto Daniel van Buyten's through ball and crossing for Gomez to
finish with ease from six meters (yards).
Gomez completed his hat trick
two minutes later, blasting the ball under goalkeeper Rene Adler after he had
been picked out by Schweinsteiger.
With the game all but decided
at halftime, Leverkusen looked short of ideas after the break. A free kick from
Renato Augusto sailed harmlessly over the bar in the 52nd, before Hanno Balitsch
shot wide under pressure from the impressive Diego Contento.
Heynckes reacted by bringing
on Stefan Kiessling for the ineffective Renato Augusto in the 56th, and the
striker came close to scoring minutes later when he launched himself at a cross
from Balitsch.
Derdiyok capitalized on a
defensive mix-up between Van Buyten and Schweinsteiger to score from close
range, while Leverkusen midfielder Michael Ballack should have scored against
his former side shortly afterward but was unable to direct his header on target.
Derdiyok forced Joerg Butt —
back in goal for the erratic Thomas Kraft — into his first save of the game in
the 70th.
Ribery scored his fifth goal
of the season when he played a one-two with Van Buyten before slotting past
Adler with ease.
Andreas Ottl hit the crossbar
for Bayern late in the game.
