Resolute Reds down battling Salzburg

FC Bayern beat Red Bull Salzburg 6-2 on Tuesday night, sealing their 14th straight Champions League victory. The home side took an early lead through Mergim Berisha, but Bayern turned the tide in the first half, Robert Lewandowski converting a penalty to level the scores before Red Bull's Rasmus Kristensen put through his own goal. Masaya Okugawa scored for Salzburg midway through the second half, but Jérôme Boateng restored Bayern's lead before Leroy Sané, Lewandowski and Lucas Hernández rounded off an ultimately clear-cut victory.

The Bavarians lined up with Manuel Neuer in goal and Benjamin Pavard,  Boateng, David Alaba and Hernández in defence, Joshua Kimmich and Corentin Tolisso in defensive midfield behind Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller and Kingsley Coman, with Lewandowski up front. Bouna Sarr, Javi Martínez and Sané came on for Pavard, Tolisso and Coman with a quarter-hour to go, Douglas Costa and Jamal Musiala taking over from Gnabry and Müller in the closing stages.

Dominant FCB bounce back

After a minute's silence for the events in Vienna, there was an early setback, Alaba blocking a Sekou Koita shot, but the unmarked Berisha got hold of the ball and drilled past Neuer. Lewandowski fired over and Gnabry saw a shot cleared off the line as Bayern upped the ante. Gnabry soon had the ball in the back of the net, but the linesman had his flag up for offside.

Neuer made a fine save against Szoboszlai before comfortably denying Koita, but Bayern were awarded a penalty when Müller was upended in the box, Lewandowski levelling the scores from 12 yards. Coman saw an effort blocked and Tolisso headed wide, Lewandowski firing over, but Bayern took the lead before half-time, Müller blasting across goal and hitting Kristensen, who diverted the ball into his own net.

Late thrashing

Bayern had Neuer to thank for preserving their lead when he tipped an Enock Mwepu shot around the post straight after the restart, the Austrians enjoying a spell in command. But the pendulum soon swang the other way, Gnabry seeing two efforts parried and Kimmich firing inches wide before Coman hit the bar. But just when it looked as if the Munich had taken control, Salzburg levelled the scores against the run of play, Bayern giving away possession in midfield, Ramalho's through-ball finding Okugawa, who slotted past Neuer.

Salzburg were buoyed by the goal, Okugawa and Okafor drawing saves from Neuer. But Bayern restored the lead when Boateng headed in from a Kimmich corner, and the goal opened the floodgates, the tiring home side crumbling in the face of Bayern's onlsaught. Sané soon cut inside from the right and unleashed a sumptuous curler into the top corner of the net before Lewandowski headed home from a Martínez cross. The final flourish came in injury time, when Hernández smashed the ball under the bar.

Bayern will be back in action on Saturday evening, when they travel to face Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga's top-of-the-table clash.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen