Hallo and willkommen to our live kommentary of Bayern Munich's trip to Hannover this afternoon. I'm Shane, but you can call me Shäne and I'll be bringing you minute-by-minute updates of everything that happens inside Niedersachsenstadion today. Thank god this is a text commentary....

There's a bit to chew on before kickoff but let's see a bit of team news first, shall we? Stay tuned.

Bayern XI: Neuer; Dante, Boateng, Badstuber, Rafinha; Alonso, Bernat, Alaba; Robben, Gotze, Muller

Hannover XI: Zieler; Albornoz, Pereira, Schulz, Sane; Marcelo, Briand, Schmeidbach, Kiyotake, Bittencourt; Sobiech

Bayern subs: Reina, Benatia, Ribery, Rode, Schweinsteiger, Lewandowski, Pizarro

Hannover subs: Joselu, Ya Konan, Prib, Andreasen, Sakai, Stankevicius, Knigsmann

Right, let's start with the visitors and I can tell you that Pep makes just the one change from the 4-1 win over Koln last week, as defender Dante comes in for Franck Ribery.

Bayern have a massive Champions League clash with Shakhtar at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, with the tie still wide open after the 0-0 in Ukraine, so you can see why he has elected to keep the likes of Ribery, Schweinsteiger and Lewandowski in reserve this afternoon.

On to the hosts now and Tayfun Korkut, without a Bundesliga win since mid-December, makes SIX changes to his Hannover side following the 1-1 draw with Stuttgart last week.

Joao Pereira and Salif Sane come into defence. In midfield, we see Hiroshi Kiyotake Manuel Schmeidebach deptutise for Edgar Prib and Lars Stindl, who is suspended. In attack, Polish striker Artur Sobiech leads the line, with Leonardo Bittencourt in support.

Incidentally, isn't Bittencourt what would happen if a judge gave Luis Suarez a prison sentence? That's just a little joke.

Can we expect Hannover to test Bayern this afternoon then? In a word, no. Having failed to register a win in 2015, Korkut's side are basically the Aston Villa of the Bundesliga and, with Bayern vying to extend or maintain an eight-point lead at the summit, it doesn't look good for the hosts today.

In fact, Guardiola's troops, who have dropped just 11 points all season, have scored no fewer than 20 goals in their last four league outings! Slightly ominous then. Here's how Hannover fans reacted upon hearing the above stat:

Prediction! Alright then let's put our necks on the line with a pre-match prediction, shall we? I picked up a Ouija board in Argos yesterday in an effort to contact the spirit of Nostradamus, who has reliably informed me, albeit through spelling, that Bayern will win 3-0. That's good enough for me.

7 - @FCBayernEN won the last 7 competitive matches against #hannover96 by 27-3 goals. Favorite. #H96FCB

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) March 7, 2015

Right, so both sets of players make their way out on to the field and kickoff is just minutes away now!

Kickoff: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off in Hannover, my friends. Bayern, playing in their all white kit, get us underway. Let's go.

Chance! We've had our first chance, and it's fallen to the hosts! Kiyotake floats a wonderful cross into the box but Christian Schulz plants a free header well over the bar in an opportunity that really should have spawned a goal. Disappointing.

Bayern just starting to settle now as Pep Guardioa's side patiently knock the ball around to one another, waiting for an opening like me in a nightclub. Like me in a nightclub, it's coming to nothing so far.

Save! Bayern go close to the opening goal as goalkeeper Ron-Robert Zieler is forced to tip David Alaba's brilliant free kick over the bar. Excellent effort it has to be said.

Shot! Poor from Arjen Robben there as the Dutchman, as he so often does, elects to shoot when the pass was a better option and his left-footed strike flies well over the bar.

Bayern will have to be patient this afternoon by the looks of things, because for a side that haven't won since December, Hannover are defending pretty well so far, restricting to Bayern to very little. Early days, but a promising start to this one.

Ever seen the film Sideways? It's based on games like these, where Bayern, despite hogging possession, just pass it from side to side without ever really making any ground.

Hannover haven't looked a bad side when they're not defending either to be fair. They had a really good chance within the opening minutes that they spurned.

Chance! There's been two clear-cut chances in this game and both have fallen to Hannover! Here's another one as Salif Sane flicks on Kiyotake's out-swinging corner and Jimmy Briand looks certain to nod it home, but he plants his head over the bar. Pretty disappointing finish.

We've just seen our first real glimpse of Robben as the Dutchman showcases his electric pace to gallop down the left-hand flank, but he runs out of space and he's gobbled up by a few Hannover defenders.

Would you believe it? Hannover, the team that hasn't won since mid-December, are beating the Bundesliga champions elect - and they've deserved it! It's brilliant from Briand, as he draws a few half-hearte challenges before playing in Kiyotake, who cooly slots beyond Neuer into the far corner. Top finish. Dante was a little sluggish to reacting to the danger it has to be said, but Hannover won't care. Niedersachsenstadion is hopping now!

Correction: Niedersachsenstadion was hopping, but Xabi Alonso has removed the feel-good factor for the hosts as he curls a free kick beyond Ron-Robert Zieler to provide a near-immediate riposte. That's quite cruel.

Bayern sub: Interesting. Pep has removed Dante from the fray and replaced him with Robert Lewandowski. As we said, the big Brazilian looked sluggish in trying to defend the opening goal so he might've picked up a knock. Equally, he might just be a bit pony and trap.

Close! Oh lord. Robben nearly flips this game on its head as he fires agonisingly wide of the far post from a Bernat cross. Hannover scored too early; it just riled Bayern it seems.

Shot! Rafinha takes matters into his own hands and blazes high and well over the bar from about 25 yards. Maybe he's inspired by the Six Nations?

Bayern booking: Quite an eventful afternoon for Mr Alonso so far, as the goalscorer goes into the book for a rash challenge on Bittencourt. Good decision.

Robben prepares to whip a free kick into the box after the winger was bundled over, but it comes to nothing as Zieler collects. Easy enough that.

Good idea from the goalscorer Kiyotake there as he looks to play in Artur Sobiech, but the Polish striker is ruled offside. Still, they've looked quite decent going forward have Hannover and they're good value for their half-time draw - if they achieve it of course.

That's all she wrote in this half, ladies and gentlemen. Xabi Alonso's free kick has helped Bayern back on level after Hiroshi Kiyotake fired the hosts into a deserved lead it has to be said. Bayern have since improved, but they were second best for 25 minutes. Still, it'll be a massive shock if they don't go on to win this.

Restart: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back. Bayern, playing from right to left in this half, get us underway. Can Hannover dare to win this? Why not? They looked dangerous in the first half, but, as we said, failing to win here would represent a shock for Bayern.

Hiroshi Kiyotake looks a serious player this afternoon. He's made a mug of quite a few Bayern players on quite a few occasions today, and if Hannover do win anything from this then he will have a big say in that.

We haven't seen much of either striker this afternoon - Bayern's Robert Lewandowski or Hannover's Artur Sobeiech. Both, along with Thomas Muller, have been really, really quiet so far.

Header! Just as I say we haven't seen much of Lewandowski, the Poland striker connects with a Rafinha cross to head narrowly wide. Incidentally, he has nine goals against Hannover from nine appearances so, you know, he will fancy his chances of getting on the scoresheet.

Bayern sub: Pep only has one sub left - having already put Lewandowski in - as he replaces Mario Gotze with Franck Ribery now. It's a compliment to Hannover that the Spaniard has had to use two players that he did not particularly want to use, with a key Champions League clash with Shakhtar on the horizon.

He has only been on a matter of minutes but Ribery has already injected a fresh sense of urgency into Bayern's attack as he plays a neat one-two with Lewandowski, but Zieler smothers the ball before the Frenchman.

Hannover sub: First Hannover sub now as Tayfun Korkut withdraws Sobiech for top goalscorer Joselu, who was surprisingly omitted from the first XI.

Dubious, dubious decision. It's a brilliant passage of play as Lewandowski looked certain to head home Ribery's inch-perfect headed pass, but as the Pole dipped his head to reach the ball, Joao Pereira kicked the ball away and the ref has given a penalty? Lord knows.

Muller doesn't miss many penalties, and he doesn't miss here as the German cooly slams his spot-kick beyond Zieler from 12 yards to give Bayern the lead. Shocking decision to award the penalty, though.

Really big ask for the visitors now and it looks like that may be that already. Premature? Possibly, but Bayern should definitely close this one out now and begin thinking about Shakhtar on Wednesday.

Double sub: Guardiola makes his final change as Schweinsteiger replaces goalscorer Alonso, while Jimmy Briand makes way for Edgar Prib.

Hannover doing very little in the final third now it has to be said. They had a penalty appeal a moment or two ago, which wasn't a penalty, but it should've been if that Bayern one was.

Stick a fork in it, my friends. Muller just about wraps up the point with his second of the game, as the German produces a fine header to beat Zieler after connecting with Ribery's excellent cross. Ribery's introduction has changed the game. Brilliant from the Frenchman.

Is the scoreline harsh on Hannover? Slightly, because what a shocking penalty decision that was, and it changed the game really. They've not been brilliant, but the 3-1 win definitely flatters Bayern.

Bayern booking: Ribery goes into the book for a challenge on Bittencourt. Good decision by the ref. What a game Ribery has had since coming on. Top class.

Update: Wolfsburg, the only side that have a chance of catching Bayern, are losing 1-0 at Augsburg! What this means is that Guardiola's men would go 11 points clear at the summit if things stay the way they are. With Borussia Dortmund's decline, it can't be that exciting being a Bayern fan any longer, can it? Certainly not domestically.

Shot! Robben bids to score for a sixth successive game, but his free kick glides over the wall and over the bar. Disappointing effort.

Hannover will just want to get off the field now. They haven't been disgraced - anything but - but Bayern are just taking you know what now, knocking the ball around like a training match and it wouldn't be all that surprising if they didn't touch the ball again.

Well, that's all she wrote, my friends. We thought we might see an upset after Hiroshi Kiyatake fired the hosts ahead, but Xabi Alonso and a Thomas Alonso brace ensured that the big pre-game favourites emerged with the three points.

Incidentally, Wolfsburg dropped points, which means that Bayern are 11 points clear at the top! That should be that. Anywho, enjoy your weekend folks and we'll see you next time. Cheers.