Soccer-Champions Bayern thump Hamburg 5-0 in opener

MUNICH, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Champions Bayern Munich crushed Hamburg SV 5-0 in the Bundesliga's season opener on Friday with a scintillating performance that set an early marker in their hunt for an unprecedented fourth straight title. German international Thomas Mueller scored twice in four minutes midway through the second half. Mehdi Benatia and Robert Lewandowski netted too while newcomer Douglas Costa, who also set up a goal, grabbed the fifth in the 87th minute. Bayern, odds-on favourites to retain their league crown, were never threatened by the visitors who needed a relegation playoff to stay up last season and started the new campaign with a shock German Cup first-round defeat by fourth tier Carl Zeiss Jena last week. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann)