BOCHUM: Bayern Munich swept aside hosts VfL Bochum 5-0 on Sunday to remain top of the Bundesliga while also putting their heavy midweek defeat to Barcelona in the Cham­pions League behind them.

RB Leipzig’s 3-1 comeback win over Freiburg on Saturday sent them three clear atop the table overnight, but Bayern reclaimed the lead on goal difference as five different players got on the scoresheet.

“It’s fun to score goals,” Jamal Musiala told DAZN. “We can be happy today and take the rhythm and flow with us in the next few games.”

The Bavarians, who lost 4-1 to Barca in Spain on Wednesday for their second defeat in three Champions League matches, gave the Ruhr valley club no chance with a dominant performance.

“It was hard to take and it hurt,” Musiala said of the loss to Barcelona. “We have to look ahead. It’s still early in the season.”

The win offered Bayern coach Vincent Kompany some respite after sharp criticism following the defeats in Europe to Aston Villa and Barcelona.

The Belgian has, however, now seen his team score 29 goals in his first eight Bundesliga games — the most in a coach’s first eight games in Bundesliga history.

Bayern took the lead with a superb Michael Olise free kick into the top corner in the 16th minute. They then doubled it through in-form Musiala in the 26th.

Apart from an early chance, Bochum were no match for Bayern’s power and the visitors picked up where they had left off in the second half.

Musiala turned provider in the 58th minute to set up Harry Kane for his ninth league goal of the season. Kane is now joint leading scorer along with Eintracht Frankfurt’s Omar Marmoush.

Substitute Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman also got onto the scoresheet with long-range efforts in the 65th and 71st minutes.

Bayern are on 20 points, ahead of second-placed RB Leipzig on goal difference. Champions Bayer Leverkusen are in third place on 15. Bochum remain anchored in last place with one point from eight games.

Meanwhile on Sunday, Union Berlin held Eintracht Frankfurt to a 1-1 draw in the German capital to climb to fourth, with Benedict Hollerbach’s strike cancelling out Mario Goetze’s opener.

Goetze profited as Union failed to clear a pinball in the box 14 minutes in, the former Germany midfielder tapping in from a metre out in his 300th Bundesliga game.

Union equalised after 66 minutes, slicing through on the counter from a Frankfurt free kick and allowing Hollerbach to unleash a deft chip over Kevin Trapp.

Frankfurt’s hopes were dashed with 13 minutes left as Arthur Theate collected a second yellow for raising his boot in a collision with Tim Skarke.

In Sunday’s late game, Heidenheim played out a scoreless draw at home with Hoffenheim.

Published in Dawn, October 29th, 2024