Impressive Reds thrash Dortmund

FC Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund 4-0 in Der Klassiker on Saturday evening, handing new head coach Hansi Flick his second victory in the second match and overtaking the Ruhr valley outfit in the table. Robert Lewandowski handed Bayern the lead in the first half, with Borussia rarely looking like mounting a comeback. Serge Gnabry doubled the advantage shortly after the restart. Lewandowski put the game to bed with a quarter-hour to go, Mats Hummels putting through his own goal.

The Bavarians started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Benjamin Pavard, Javi Martínez, David Alaba and Alphonso Davies in a back four. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka featured in a twin holding role behind Gnabry, Thomas Müller and Kingsley Coman, with Lewandowski up front. Philippe Coutinho, Thiago and Ivan Perišić took over from Gnabry, Goretzka and Coman midway through the second half.

Lewy rewards first-half dominance

The 75,000 capacity crowd at the Allianz Arena saw the two sides feel each other out at first, with chances few and far between in the first quarter-hour, although Dortmund netminder Roman Bürki was on hand to beat Lewandowski to a Müller pass in the first minute. Bayern upped the ante now and were soon rewarded, Lewandowski heading past Bürki from Pavard's pass.

A Coman cross evaded Gnabry before the Frenchman fired over and saw another effort blocked by Hummels. Gnabry had the ball in the net for a second time after the half-hour, but the linesman had raised his flag for offside. Gnabry drew a comfortable save from Bürki, Coman firing wide from distance before Axel Witsel miscued a header, and match official Felix Zwayer blew for half-time.

One-way traffic

Proceedings were similar after the restart, and Gnabry soon doubled the advantage. The offside flag was up once again, but the goal was given following VAR intervention. Gnabry almost bagged a brace, but Alphonso Davies' cross just evaded him at the far post.

Lewandowski miscued from close range before Dortmund's Paco Alcácer fired wide, squandering the away side's only chance on Saturday. Davies blasted over the bar before Müller slotted wide, but Bayern closed out the meeting when a Müller chip invited Lewandowski to beat Bürki. Hummels soon put through his own goal following a Perišić square. Perišić and Coutinho fired wide in the closing stages, and Zwayer put the visitors out of their misery.

The result means Bayern have 21 points from 11 matches, lying third in the table. A number of Bayern pros will be away on national team duty during the international break before the Reds return to action on 23 November, when they travel to face Fortuna Düsseldorf in the Bundesliga.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen