Dominant Bayern maintain perfect start to season

FC Bayern beat Werder Bremen 4-0 on Friday night to maintain their perfect start to the season. Jonathan Tah put Bayern in front midway through the first half before Harry Kane doubled the lead from the spot just before half-time. Kane rounded off his brace and 100th Bayern goal after the hour. Konrad Laimer added the final flourish in the closing stages as Bayern made it eight wins from eight competitive matches this season.

Munich lined up with Manuel Neuer in goal and Sacha Boey, Dayot Upamecano, Tah and Laimer in defence. Leon Goretzka and Tom Bischof anchored a midfield featuring Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and Luis Díaz, with Kane up front. Joshua Kimmich, Raphaël Guerreiro, Lennart Karl, Nicolas Jackson and Wisdom Mike – making his senior debut – came on for Goretzka, Gnabry, Olise, Kane and Díaz in the second half.

First-half dominance

The pattern of the game was soon established with Bayern in the driving seat and Bremen looking to strike on the break. Kane fired wide and saw another effort saved in the opening minutes, with Díaz miscuing a header. A Goretzka shot was blocked, but Munich took the lead when Tah flicked Olise’s low cross with his heel, with Díaz deflecting the ball with his knee to beat Werder keeper Karl Hein.

Kane and Díaz saw their efforts saved before Marco Friedl only just beat the unmarked Kane to a Goretzka square. Hein denied Olise, but Friedl soon upended Kane in the box, the England captain converting the ensuing penalty. Hein made a fine save to keep out a deflected Gnabry shot as Bayern were two up at half-time.

Century for Kane

After a quiet start to the second period, Gnabry fired over before Jens Stage did the same at the other end. Bremen started to open up and Neuer denied Yukinari Sugawara, but Bayern soon staged a counter, with Díaz’s square inviting Kane to score his 100th competitive goal for Bayern in only his 104th game – the fastest player ever to a century for the club.

Sugawara fired over and Díaz’s curler went just wide. Hein denied Olise and Jackson, with Guerreiro miscuing. Bremen intercepted a bad pass, but Victor Boniface’s goal was chalked off for offside. Bayern still had time for a fourth as Bischof slipped in Laimer to add gloss to the scoreline.

The result means Bayern top the table on 15 points and a record-breaking +19 goal difference from five matches. The Bavarians will be back in action on Tuesday when they travel to face Pafos in the Champions League.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen