Arjen Robben cycled a bit, Robert Lewandowski was cracking jokes and the rest of the Bayern squad were shouting with joy in the bowls of the community4you ARENA following the Reds’ commanding victory over third-tier Chemnitzer FC in the DFB Cup. “We deserved to win 5-0,” said Sebastian Rudy, “We played with patience, remained calm, led 1-0 at half-time and then had more chances which we took.”
“We were in control from the very-first minute,” a happy Thomas Müller explained after a game that his side dominated with 80 per cent possession but also struggled to create clear-cut chances in the first half. “Chemnitz defended with eleven men as expected so there wasn’t much room to play,” Müller continued. Perhaps logically it was Lewandowski who broke the spell with a free-kick in the 20th minute. “It gets easier when you score the first goal,” the Pole had already predicted before the game.
French trio in mood for goals
However, Bayern really hit their stride after the break. “Our running bore fruit as Chemnitz got more tired and the gaps became bigger. We just carried on playing our game,” enthused Müller, who was able to celebrate the second of the game with Kingsley Coman shortly after half-time. The Frenchman scored his first DFB Cup goal after an assist from his compatriot Franck Ribery, who already has a combined 28 goals and assists in this competition from just 34 appearances. Très bien!
The French revolution continued apace after that as Corentin Tolisso laid the ball on a plate for Lewandowski to make it 3-0 after some skilful combination play inside the box. It was Tolisso’s first competitive assist for the record league and cup winners. The goal was also Lewandowski’s 113th for Bayern in just 149 appearances, moving him level with Mario Gomez (174 games). Ribery was later rewarded for his efforts in the game when he converted a free-kick to make it 4-0 with ten minutes remaining.
Hummels heads above the rest
“I spoke with Franck on the pitch about who would take the next free-kick, ” Lewandowski revealed afterwards. “When the next one came I was already off the pitch. Franck wanted to try and did it very well,” the Pole laughed. The final goal of the game also came from a set piece when Mats Hummels headed home Robben’s corner in the dying seconds. It was the centre-back’s third DFB Cup goal in Bayern colours in just his sixth game!
“The cup is something special to me,” the world champion enthused, who had been training with Kimmich to “trick goalkeepers,” he explained with a grin. “I work a lot on attacking the ball in the air so I can score more.” There was also praise for the assist-provider – the returning Robben. “He does everything to be fit. It simply helps the team when someone who wants to have fun comes on, even when it’s already 3-0,” said Kimmich.
Optimism ahead of Bundesliga
One big question now remains: Are the record cup winners also ready for the Bundesliga? Friday night sees the curtain raised on the new season against Bayer Leverkusen. “It was a really solid performance today,” said Hummels, who is sure that his team is “better than two weeks ago”. Rudy appeared determined in his statements: “We want to be at the top of our game against Leverkusen, play our way and win the three points.” Müller is also “in a positive mood” because “we have all we need to play well on Friday.” Let’s hope that’s the case when the action finally gets underway!