Bayern rattled in four early goals to sweep aside next week’s Cup final opponents Dortmund, opening a ten-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga.
The customary 69,000 full house at the Allianz Arena was treated to a record-breaking first quarter of the match, as Bayern raced into a 4-0 lead through Lukas Podolski, Ze Roberto and a Luca Toni double, the first time the Bavarians have ever scored four goals so early in a Bundesliga fixture.
Psychological edge for Cup final
The scintillating start against a shell-shocked Dortmund defence naturally left little doubt as to the ultimate destination of the points, and the league leaders were happy to shift down a gear or two for the rest of the match with occasional forays forward, one of which handed a first senior goal at home to Andreas Ottl on 67 minutes.
The result, taking FCB onto 60 points from 28 matches, means the Bavarians lead second-placed Werder Bremen by ten points with six games remaining, and require just nine more points to be certain of a 21st domestic championship. The crushing win also hands Bayern an undoubted psychological edge for next Saturday's German Cup final against the same opponents in Berlin.
Four changes
Bayern boss Ottmar Hitzfeld made four changes to the side which so memorably drew 3-3 against Getafe in midweek. With Franck Ribery and Miroslav Klose both injured, Lucio rested, and Mark van Bommel suspended, there were starts for Podolski, Daniel van Buyten, Ottl and Willy Sagnol, the France star operating in an unaccustomed right midfield role.
With the effects of FCB’s emotionally draining 120-minute thriller in Spain unknown, Borussia arrived in Munich hoping to improve on a poor record over the years of six victories, nine draws and 23 defeats, but the men in red appeared inspired by their midweek efforts and turned in a fulminating start to wrap up the points with barely 20 minutes played.
Early advantage
The rain of goals started on just three minutes when Christian Lell’s probing ball found Toni in the box. The Italian laid off neatly for Podolski to unleash a 20-yard left-footed curler past keeper Marc Ziegler’s despairing dive and in at the far corner.
Bayern’s second on eight minutes was a goal of real quality, a slick series of first-time passes from Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni and Lahm for second time setting up Ze to net his fifth of term from close range with the Borussia rearguard pulled horribly out of shape.
Toni brace
The men in red drew breath briefly, but were soon on the goal trail again as Sagnol’s forward header found Toni lurking just outside the box after 18 minutes. The striker duped seasoned BVB centre-half Christian Wörns before advancing a couple of paces and beating Ziegler all ends up with a delightful effort off the outside of his right boot.
The Italian moved onto 18 league goals for the season just four minutes later, initiating and finishing a move of real quality, starting when Lahm recovered a loose ball near his own corner flag and found the Italian, still in his own half of the field.
Toni flicked to Schweinsteiger, whose perceptive pass sent Ze haring clear. The Brazilian waited for Toni to complete a 60-yard sprint to the far post before dinking a lob over two defenders, the striker gleefully lashing home to complete his brace.
Armband on the move
Two headers over the bar from Mats Hummels, on loan to BVB from Munich, were the sum total of woeful Dortmund’s efforts in the first half, and it was little surprise to see former Bayern man Robert Kovac come out to strengthen the defence after half-time. Oliver Kahn, nursing a minor shoulder injury, also quit the action at the break, handing the gloves to Michael Rensing and the captain's armband to Sagnol.
The men in yellow and black offered more by way of resistance in the second period, Nelsen Valdez and Sebastian Kahl testing Rensing early after the restart, but Van Buyten came close to extending the home side's lead with the hour mark approaching. The league leaders then switched to their third captain of the day, Lahm taking over from Sagnol when the Frenchman made way for Toni Kroos on 61 minutes.
Andi on target
Bayern took the pace out of the match and almost paid when Florian Kringe missed a sitter after a fine Kovac burst into the box, but that seemed to rouse the Reds and the lead went up to 5-0 when Ottl drove home from Podolski’s fine build-up play after 67 minutes, the Munich-born goalscorer profiting from a Ziegler blunder at the near post.
The indefatigable Toni, seemingly unaffected by the 120-minute battle in midweek, kept up his pursuit of yet more goals right until the end and came desperately close to completing a hat-trick on three occasions, but despite the near misses, the Italian was the undoubted man of the match on a day when Bayern produced convincing evidence of their attacking credentials, even deprived of the likes of Ribery and Klose.
Match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley
Topics of this article