FC Bayern faced RB Leipzig at home on Saturday evening in the Bundesliga’s top match. After two recent draws in which they conceded five goals, a response was needed.
Borussia Dortmund had stumbled earlier that afternoon, meaning Bayern had the chance to jump into first place. To do so, they needed a win against Leipzig.
The opponent, coached by former Bayern player Martin Demichelis, was riding high after two wins against Frankfurt and PSV. But that momentum was quickly snuffed out; Bayern were absolutely dominant and won 6–1.
Bayern dominates and scores
Vincent Kompany made three substitutions following the match against Viking Stavanger (3–3), bringing on Dayot Upamecano, Aleksandar Pavlović, and Ismael Saibari for Jonathan Tah, Tom Bischof, and Lennart Karl. Bayern came out strong, with Harry Kane having the first chance just one minute in. His shot was saved, however. Joshua Kimmich took a while to get going but then increasingly dominated the game.
It was also Kimmich who found Luis Díaz with a beautiful chip pass after eleven minutes. Díaz shook off his defender and coolly scored to make it 1–0. Shortly afterward, he nearly scored again, but he didn’t connect well with the ball, and it sailed well over the goal. The record champions had the better chances and could have added to their lead several times by the 23rd minute through Dayot Upamecano, Ismael Saibari, and Kane again.
Then, in the 27th minute, it happened. Kane initiated the play from deep; Diaz ran toward the back line and was played in behind by Pavlovic. The Colombian set up the German international, who scored the 2–0 from a tight angle. Michael Olise had the next chance, hitting the post in the 29th minute. Just five minutes later, Bayern put together another move: Kane and Olise tore apart the opposing defense, and the Frenchman fired the ball with his left foot into the right corner—3–0! Vandevoordt made a strong save against Diaz (38′), after which Bayern were in the mood to play, incorporating a backheel pass at one point and proving completely dominant. They went into the locker room leading 3–0.
Bayern remains overwhelmingly superior and adds to its lead
After the break, the game essentially continued in the same vein. Leipzig made two substitutions but was still completely overwhelmed. Diaz extended the lead to 4–0 with a magnificent curling shot into the far corner, before Kane, set up by Brown following an excellent play, made it 5–0. With the comfortable lead in hand, Kompany then gave his players a rest, taking Kane, Saibari, Pavlovic, and Laimer off the field and bringing on Josip Stanišić, Tom Bischof, Serge Gnabry, and Lennart Karl.
Diaz, however, kept up the pressure and was clearly enjoying himself. In the 70th minute, he scored again with a powerful shot into the lower right corner, netting his third goal of the evening. After that, the game petered out a bit; Bayern no longer played with the same intensity, though they didn’t need to. In stoppage time, a shot by Maksimovic provided a consolation goal. His shot was unstoppable for Urbig. In the end, though, it was a convincing victory that propelled them to the top of the standings.