PHOTOS: Bundesliga ramps up George Floyd protests

Bundesliga players wore black armbands and took the knee in displays of support for the Black Lives Matter protests on Saturday, as Bayern Munich kept title rivals Borussia Dortmund at bay with a ninth successive win.

Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski scored his 30th league goal of the season as Bayern came from behind to claim a 4-2 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, a win which kept them seven points ahead of second-placed Dortmund, who beat Hertha Berlin 1-0.

As thousands of protesters assembled in city centres across Germany, both of the country's top two clubs also used Saturday's games to make statements against police brutality and racism.

Dortmund players warmed up in T-shirts bearing messages of solidarity such as "no justice, no peace", before taking the knee in the centre circle with their Hertha colleagues for a moment's silence before kick-off.

Bayern players, meanwhile, wore black "Black Lives Matter" armbands and T-shirts during their rampant win over Leverkusen.

Bayern Munich coach Hansi flick also showed his solidarity. "As players, we always have the same message - we are tolerant, we are open, we are open to the world," Bayern captain Manuel Neuer said.

Dortmund battled to a 1-0 home win over Hertha thanks to a second-half strike from Emre Can. England winger Jadon Sancho, who was among the first Bundesliga players to lend his voice to the protests last weekend, missed from close range just after the break before setting up Can with a deft chip over the back line on 57 minutes.

A late equaliser from Christian Strohdiek saw bottom-of-the-table Paderborn snatch a 1-1 draw away to RB Leipzig. Leipzig's star striker Timo Werner suffered a torrid time on the pitch. He is the subject of a transfer window move to Premier League side Chelsea.

Duesseldorf missed the chance to move towards safety, as they battled to a dramatic 2-2 draw against 10-man Hoffenheim. Goals from Moussa Niakhate and Pierre Kunde Malong gave Mainz a rare win over local rivals Eintracht Frankfurt. Having sealed a crucial win with his 77th-minute strike, Cameroon international Kunde also joined the protests, taking a knee in place of a celebration. "I think it's good. It isn't a political statement, it's just a position, and these are values that we have. For me, there is no other possible position to take," said Mainz sporting director Rouven Schroeder.

On Sunday, the matches between Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg, and Schalke and Union Berlin both began with all players taking a knee around the centre circle.