Lewandowski hits four as Bayern win seven-goal thriller

BERLIN, Oct 05 (AFP): Robert Lewandowski netted four goals - including the decisive added-time penalty - as defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich survived a fight-back by Hertha Berlin to seal a nervy 4-3 win on Sunday.

Lewandowki, voted European footballer of the year on Friday, scored twice to put Bayern 2-0 up early in the second half only for Hertha to score three times to make it 3-3 with time almost up.

However, the Poland hot-shot then converted a 93rd-minute spot kick to seal the win which lifts Bayern to fourth in the table.

The victory got Bayern back to winning ways after their record 23-match winning streak was ended by a 4-1 defeat at Hoffenheim last Sunday.

Yet the European champions again looked jaded at the Allianz Arena while Hertha finished the stronger.

Fresh from their 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday in the German Super Cup, Bayern gave a first start to US junior international Chris Richards, 20, at right-back.

In the build-up, Bayern announced the signing of defensive midfielder Marc Roca from Espanyol to replace Thiago Alcantara who has joined Liverpool.

Bayern made a nervy start as Hertha's Colombia striker Jhon Cordoba beat Manuel Neuer on 15 minutes with a fierce strike, but he was offside.