BERLIN, Germany (AFP) — Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang grabbed a hat-trick as Borussia Dortmund romped to a 6-1 home thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach to regain top spot in the Bundesliga yesterday.

Gladbach had no answer to Peter Bosz’s fleet-footed Dortmund, who opened a two-point lead over Hoffenheim at the top in a perfect confidence boost before Tuesday’s Champions League clash with holders Real Madrid.

Aubameyang, last season’s top scorer in Germany’s top flight, has now netted eight goals in six league games — one ahead of main rival Robert Lewandowski of Bayern Munich.

Left winger Maximilian Philipp scored Dortmund’s first two goals before Aubameyang’s hat-trick, with defensive midfielder Julian Weigl scoring a superb sixth.

“We were very dominant. It was an intense game and we can be very satisfied,” said Philipp, who also scored two goals against Cologne last weekend.

After third-placed Bayern threw away a two-goal lead on Friday in a 2-2 draw at home to Wolfsburg, Dortmund are now three points ahead of the defending champions.

Bayern could finish the weekend in fourth if Hanover 96 beat bottom side Cologne today.

Teenage midfielder Dennis Geiger scored his first league goal as Hoffenheim briefly went top earlier in the day with a 2-0 win against Schalke.

Geiger hit the top corner from the edge of the box with 13 minutes gone and Lukas Rupp added Hoffenheim’s second just before the final whistle.

Germany striker Timo Werner hit form with a goal and an assist during RB Leipzig’s 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Red Bull Arena.

Hosts Werder Bremen and Freiburg both stayed in the relegation places after their 0-0 draw, while Augsburg are fourth after their goalless stalemate at Stuttgart.

Striker Pablo de Blasis converted a second-half penalty as Mainz picked up only their second win in six games with a 1-0 victory at home to midtable Hertha Berlin.