Bundesliga
Bayern set Bundesliga record
Bayern Munich cruised past Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 to maintain their perfect start to the Bundesliga season, setting a Bundesliga record in the process.
Serge Gnabry scored his 95th Bundesliga goal, which gave Bayern the lead in the 25th minute. Not only did that take his season tally to four strikes, but it also means Germany’s record champions became the first Bundesliga club to open the scoring in each of their first nine league matches of a season.
Leverkusen were the only team that could match that record, with both teams going into the Matchday 9 clash after opening the scoring in each of their eight previous games this season.
Goals from Nicolas Jackson and a Loïc Badé own goal secured a 3-0 win for Vincent Kompany’s side, who ended Leverkusen’s 37-game unbeaten away run in the process.
Bayern’s victory at Leverkusen also means they have won 15 consecutive competitive matches. The only time they had achieved such a streak previously was under Hansi Flick in 2020, when they won 23 successive games.
In the absence of Harry Kane, who dropped to the bench, Jackson led the line for Bayern. The Senegalese forward opened his account for the season with a headed goal, assisted by Konrad Laimer, in the 31st minute to double his team’s lead.
"It was not easy to come to a new team and try to play or score goals because there's always a winning team here," said Jackson. "I'm very happy to have my first one and hopefully many more to come."
Jackson has made seven Bundesliga appearances for Bayern this season but has featured in every game that Kane has started. Against Leverkusen, the 24-year-old capitalised on an opportunity to showcase his ability as the main goal threat.
With Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League game against Paris Saint-Germain in mind, Kompany rotated his star-studded squad which saw Kane, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise drop to the bench, with Tom Bischof, Lennart Karl and Jackson all starting.
Bischof registered his second assist of the campaign and produced a standout performance in just his third Bundesliga start for his new club. Exhibiting excellent vision for Gnabry’s goal, the teenager was also effective defensively, winning 14 challenges - the most of any Bayern player.
Elsewhere, Minjae Kim, Raphaël Guerreiro and Leon Goretzka all started in place of Dayot Upamecano, Josip Stanišić and Aleksandar Pavlović which should give Kompany’s Bayern some fresh legs ahead of their trip to Paris.