Bayern beat Bayer Leverkusen to keep up winning run

FC Bayern beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 on Saturday evening to extend their European record of victories to 15 matches at the start of the season. Serge Gnabry and Nicolas Jackson scored before Loïc Badé put through his own goal to hand Bayern a comfortable lead at half-time. With no goals to come after the restart, Bayern claimed another three points.

Vincent Kompany made seven changes to the XI that saw off Köln in the DFB Cup on Wednesday. It meant Bayern lined up with Manuel Neuer in goal and Konrad Laimer, Jonathan Tah, Minjae Kim and Tom Bischof in defence. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka anchored a midfield featuring Lennart Karl, Raphaël Guerreiro and Gnabry, with Jackson up front. Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, Harry Kane, Sacha Boey and Aleksandar Pavlović took over from Karl, Gnabry, Lackson, Laimer and Guerreiro in the second half.

Three up at half-time

The pattern of the game was soon established with Bayern in the driving seat and Leverkusen looking to strike on the break. Karl fired wide and Goretzka miscued a header, with Laimer testing Bayer goalkeeper Mark Flekken. Munich took the lead when Bischof’s through ball found the charging Gnabry, who slotted home to mark his 250th Bundesliga appearance with his 95th goal.

Bayern made it two when Laimer’s pinpoint cross invited the unmarked Jackson to head home only moments later. The Senegal international soon slotted in from Gnabry’s pass, but the flag was raised for offside. Karl fired wide before Bayern did make it three, Badé putting a Guerreiro cross into his own goal.

Calmly see out the result

The pace of the game dropped somewhat after half-time, but Bayern were always a step quicker than the away side. Jackson miscued a header and Guerreiro fired wide, with Olise seeing shots blocked after his introduction.

Boey had an effort deflected behind before a Kane shot was blocked as the game petered out and Munich deservedly took another three points and made it nine Bundesliga victories from nine.

The victory takes Bayern onto 27 points, five clear of RB Leipzig. The Bavarians will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to face Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen