Diaby hat-trick sees off Augsburg

Bayer Leverkusen 5-1 Augsburg
Goals: 1-0 Bellarabi (assist: Bakker) 9', 2-0 Diaby (assist: Adli) 24', 2-1 Maier (62'), 3-1 Diaby (64'), 4-1 Diaby (assist: Frimpong) 70', 5-1 Alario (assist: Andrich) 82')

The tone was set early on when Mitchel Bakker exchanged passes with Diaby and crossed to the far post, where Karim Bellarabi was on hand to turn the ball in from an angle inside the first 10 minutes. The same route nearly led to the same outcome for Leverkusen, this time with Diaby sending in a low cross, but Reece Oxford was this time able to turn it behind for a corner. The pressure was relentless, though, and after Jeremie Frimpong blazed over from a good position, another sequence of quick passes featuring Patrik Schick and Amine Adli put Diaby through to double the hosts' lead. Rafal Gikiewicz prevented worse before half-time when Jonathan Tah's sweeping long pass put Schick through on goal, with Leverkusen good value for their two-goal lead.

Andi Zeqiri and Lasse Günther were sent on at the start of the second half as Augsburg coach Markus Weinzierl sought a spark for his side, and it nearly came from Ricardo Pepi, who gave Lukas Hradecky his first task to deal with. Florian Niederlechner – who had replaced Pepi moments earlier – squandered an even better opportunity to get the guests back into the game, but they did not have to wait much longer. Michael Gregoritsch's free-kick was only fumbled by Hradecky to the feet of Arne Maier, who accepted the invitation for his first Bundesliga goal. That in turn sparked Leverkusen back into action, and Adli's header was pushed away by Gikiewicz only as far as Diaby, who restored their two-goal advantage with his second of the game from a tight angle. The Frenchman then wrapped up the win, completing his hat-trick with a fine first-time finish from Frimpong's pass. And though he was denied a personal fourth when Lucas Alario stole Robert Andrich's chipped pass off his toes, he complimented his teammate on a fine backheeled finish which completed a comprehensive win for Leverkusen.

Watch: Frimpong hails "amazing" Diaby after hat-trick heroics

• Diaby scored his first Bundesliga hat-trick in his 78th Bundesliga game.
• Maier's goal was his first in his 91st Bundesliga game.
• Leverkusen have 48 goals after 20 games – more than ever before at this stage of a season, beating the 46 they had in 2001/02.
• Leverkusen have still never lost to Augsburg in the Bundesliga (P22: W15, D7).
• Augsburg have won just one of 11 away Bundesliga fixtures this season (D4, L6). Last term, they had the second worst away record in the division (14 from a possible 51 points).
• The Bavarians are now on a five-game winless run in the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen: Hradecky (c) - Frimpong, Tah (Retsos 82'), Hincapie, Bakker - Andrich - Bellarabi (Fosu-Mensah 78'), Wirtz (Sertdemir 82'), Adli (Aranguiz 70'), Diaby – Schick (Alario 70')
Unused subs: Grill, Lomb, Gedikli, Amiri
Out: Baumgartlinger (knee), Demirbay (suspended), Kossounou (Africa Cup of Nations), Palacios (back), Paulinho (match fitness), Lunev (ankle), Sinkgraven (groin), Tapsoba (Africa Cup of Nations)
Coach: Gerardo Seoane

Augsburg: Gikiewicz – Gumny (Framberger 74'), Oxford, Gouweleeuw (c), Uduokhai – Dorsch, Maier – Vargas (Zeqiri 46'), Pedersen (Günther 46') – Pepi (Niederlechner 57'), Gregoritsch (Hahn 74')
Unused subs: Koubek, Sarenren Bazee, Caligiuri, Finnbogason
Out: Iago (knock), Strobl (knee)
Coach: Markus Weinzierl