Sancho marked his return to the Borussia Dortmund XI with a hat-trick and a message as they thumped strugglers Paderborn 6-1 on Sunday.
Sancho made his way back to the first XI for the first time since the coronavirus-enforced break.
Following a disappointing midweek defeat to Bayern Munich saw the defending champions move seven points clear at the summit.
Although Dortmund were frustrated until the 54th minute before Thorgan Hazard’s opener was swiftly followed by a second from Sancho.
The winger later net again after Hunemeier brought Paderborn back into the game with Achraf Hakimi and Marcel Schmelzer adding to the scoreline.
The England international rounded off his treble in the 92nd minute by capping a rapid Dortmund counter attack.
Sancho celebrated his first by revealing a T-shirt bearing the message “Justice for George Floyd” in reference to the black American who was killed by a police officer in Minnesota this week.
Weston McKennie and Marcus Thuram had similar tributes earlier in a weekend that concluded with Dortmund’s return to winning ways.
Hazard was twice kept at bay by Leopold Zingerle, and Raphael Guerreiro’s low strike deflected wide.
Further opportunities following the interval as the goalkeeper denied Hakimi and then Hazard hit the post.
The breakthrough finally came courtesy of an unfortunate Zingerle blunder, with the keeper unable to hold Emre Can’s ball from the left and presenting Hazard with a tap-in.
Dortmund wasted no time in adding another, with Julian Brandt racing through and squaring for Sancho, although they were briefly made to work for their win.
Paderborn got their goal through Hunemeier from the penalty spot after Can was punished for handball.
It mattered not as Sancho rifled a crucial strike inside the right hand post from Hazard’s pass with 16 minutes left.
Hakimi shot across Zingerle and then Schmelzer having assisted the wing back and turned in Axel Witsel’s cross.
The day belonged to Sancho, though, and he raced away on the counter in stoppage time to coolly beat Zingerle and complete his treble to make it 1-6.
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