Sadness weighed in the air at the Allianz Arena ahead of kick-off as Bayern paid tribute to arguably the most significant figure in their history.
Perhaps this led to a sluggish start from Thomas Tuchel’s men, who were forced to wait until the 18th minute for their first shot on goal.
When it arrived, though, Jamal Musiala brilliantly opened the scoring as his drive from a tight angle beat Oliver Baumann and went in off the post.
That strike made it 72 consecutive home league matches in which Bayern have found the net, but chances to add to their lead were few and far between despite their dominance of possession.
In fact, Hoffenheim came closer to a goal before the break with Anton Stach and Andrej Kramaric both firing volleys towards goal, but neither had the beating of home goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who was making his 500th appearance for the club.
A breathless second half saw chances arriving at regular intervals. First-half goalscorer Musiala struck the post for the hosts, who then saw Konrad Laimer and Alphonso Davies denied by Baumann.
Hoffenheim responded, as top scorer Max Beier was brilliantly denied from point-blank range by Neuer, before he also hit the bar while Kramarić spurned a one-on-one opportunity.
Those misses proved terminal for the Kraichgauer, who within five minutes of rattling the upright, found their deficit doubled by the mercurial Musiala.
After earning a yard of space with his trademark fleeting footwork, the 20-year-old exchanged passes with Leroy Sane before opening his foot up to slot beneath Baumann. The contest then threatened to unravel for Hoffen
heim, who saw Grischa Prömel sent off for a late challenge on substitute Mathys Tel.
It was far from a vintage display, but Harry Kane added gloss to the scoreline in stoppage time as he slammed into the top corner after being played in by Leon Goretzka.
In doing so, the Englishman equalled Robert Lewandowski’s record for the most goals in the first of a Bundesliga season at 22 with a game to spare.
It cemented Hoffenheim’s fate, as their miserable run extended to just one win from their last eight league matches.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
