Last updated on .From the section European Football

Bayern have not lost their final league match of the year since 1984

Bayern Munich will go into 2016 eight points clear at the top of the Bundesliga after beating Hannover in the final game before the winter break.

Hannover's Leon Andreasen and Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski hit the woodwork before Thomas Muller scored a penalty after Christian Schulz handled.

Home keeper Ron-Robert Zieler did well to deny dominant Bayern more goals.

Bayern manager Pep Guardiola is expected to announce he is leaving the club in the summer in the coming days.

Borussia Dortmund's 2-1 defeat by Cologne enabled Bayern to extend their lead at the top.

Bayern, who have eight players out injured, could only name four substitutes - but their starting line-up was still good enough to beat most sides in the world.

Both goalkeepers made fantastic saves before Muller's opener. Bayern's Manuel Neuer, making his 300th Bundesliga appearance, touched Andreasen's header onto the crossbar.

And Lewandowski then hit the post with a curling effort from the edge of the area with former Manchester United trainee Zieler recovering brilliantly to deny Muller's rebound with his feet when it looked as though the in-form forward had an empty net.

Bayern midfielder Arturo Vidal limped off late on, but he has until their next game - at Hamburg on 22 January - to recover.

Muller continues great season

The Germany international had been denied twice by Zieler - once when he controlled Arturo Vidal's pass with his chest and shot at the goalkeeper, and the other from the Lewandowski rebound.

But he did get his goal late in the first half from the penalty spot, sending Zieler the wrong way. That was his 14th league goal of the season, a personal best for a campaign - with half the season left to play.

Despite scoring 14 in 17 games, Muller is only the third top Bundesliga scorer - behind Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and his own team-mate Lewandowski.

What now for Guardiola and Bayern?

Pep Guardiola says Bayern Munich already know his decision

Bayern boss Guardiola, whose contract expires this summer, said after the game he will reveal his future on Sunday.

It is expected he will announce he will leave at the end of the season, with Premier League sides Manchester City and Chelsea reported to want the former Barcelona boss.

And a report from the Guardian external-link claims Carlo Ancelotti has already agreed to take over the German champions, who have won the title in each of Guardiola's two seasons.

Elsewhere in the Bundesliga...

Bayern extended their lead at the top as second-placed Borussia Dortmund lost 2-1 to Cologne.

Sokratis Papastathopoulos' opener means Dortmund have scored as many Bundesliga goals - 47 - as they did in the whole of last season under Jurgen Klopp. But Simon Zoller and former Blackburn loanee Anthony Modeste scored to turn it around.

Former Manchester United striker Javier Hernandez scored his 10th league goal in his last eight games as Bayer Leverkusen beat Ingolstadt 1-0.