Another glorious league season for Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich was wrapped up in comfortable style on Saturday, the Bavarians seeing off Hannover 96 3-1 in Pep Guardiola's final league game as manager.
An entertaining game was settled by half-time, as Robert Lewandoswki and Mario Götze gave Guardiola's men a 2-0 lead. Götze would double his tally in the second half, before Artur Sobiech pulled one back for the relegated side, who did have good chances throughout to score more.
Bayern on the front foot early on
The hosts were straight out of the blocks, looking to take an early lead in front of their partying fans. Lewandowski lashed a shot wide of the goal after being put in by Götze, but Phillip Lahm did well to keep the ball in on the right hand side. His cross found Kingsley Coman in space in the area, the Frenchman heading over when he should have done much better.
Arturo Vidal went even closer minutes later, hooking the ball just over the bar after catching a half-volley sweetly from just inside the penalty area.
Lewandowski's 30th of the season opened the scoring
The first goal then came, Lewandowski netting with just 12 minutes on the clock. Coman burst away down the right and saw a cross only half cleared, the ball falling to the Polish striker whose shot deflected off Milko Albornoz and into the net.
Waldemar Anton denied Franck Ribery the goal that would have made it 2-0, blocking valiantly after the winger found his way into the six yard box by virtue of a clever one-two with Götze.
Hannover did largely struggle for chances throughout, but missed a golden opportunity to level up with just over 20 minutes gone. Manuel Neuer could only beat away Felix Klaus' powerful effort, Iver Fossum drilling the ball into the ground and then over the bar from a rebound which he should have scored from.
Götze's cool finish makes it two
Götze was the man who scored the second, just before the half hour mark, doing nothing to put off potential suitors for a reported summer move. More good work from Coman down the right created it, sliding Gotze in, the midfielder doing the rest as he calmy dinked the ball over Ron-Robert Zieler.
Provider for the second, Coman thought he'd got the third before half-time as he latched on to a cross from Jerome Boateng. Rising highest in the area, he connected well with the ball, only for it to come back off the post.
Hannover had chances, with Neuer and Ulreich tested
As good as Bayern's attacking was, the defensive frailties were still there. Anton really should have pulled one back as a free-kick found it's way to him at the back post, the youngster volleying wide from a wonderful position to score.
Manuel Neuer's game was up after 51 minutes, with Guardiola taking the chance to give Sven Ulreich his first Bundesliga minutes of the season, Neuer only too happy to give his reserve 'keeper a chance for some action.
Götze grabs brace before Sobiech's consolation
At the other end, on his last appearance for Hannover, Zieler was beaten again less than 10 minutes into the second half. Götze got his second of the game as a corner was only pushed out towards the edge of the box by the away defence, the midfielder sweeping the ball into the bottom corner with power and accuracy.
Despite being down and out, Hannover continued to press forward in search of a consolaton goal. Ulreich was called into action, making a fine save to tip the ball wide as Edgar Prib had a go from range. Prib shot from closer range soon after, but blasted wide on his left foot.
They did get their consolation goal eventually, and it was a much deserved one. Artur Sobiech was the man who got it, his seventh of the season, outmuscling Boateng as the ball came over the top of the defence before tucking the ball past Ulreich.
Bayern scared a litte, but quality shines through
It really should have been pulled back to 3-2 just after, Bayern switching off completely as they gave the ball away at the back, Prib getting a clear run at goal. However, he seemed to lose his cool, shooting too early and straight at the 'keeper.
Despite their wobble at the back, the Bavarians were still as dangerous as ever going forward, Ribery toe-poking wide after dancing around a cluster of defender's. Zieler ended his Hannover career with a brilliant save, keeping Vidal out as the game edged towards stoppage time.
There were little more chances to speak of after that opportunity, Bayern easing to a 3-1 win to round off their league season, warming up nicely for next week's DFB-Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund.