5 key games in Bayern's 2021/22 title win

Bavarian native Julian Nagelsmann had a serious job on his hands to follow on from Hansi Flick, who had enjoyed a hugely successful spell in the hotseat. bundesliga.com outlines some key moments for the new head coach and his team as the champions extended their record winning run.

MD5: Bayern Munich 7-0 Bochum
Goals: 1-0 Sane (17'), 2-0 Kimmich (27'), 3-0 Gnabry (36'), 4-0 Lampropoulos (o.g. 43'), 5-0 Lewandowski (61'), 6-0 Kimmich (64'), 7-0 Choupo-Moting (79')

With a new man in charge and long-serving stalwarts like David Alaba, Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez moving on, it was always likely that Bayern would take some time to warm up. They were held 1-1 at Borussia Mönchengladbach on the opening night before winning the DFL Supercup against Borussia Dortmund. Nagelsmann's first home match as Bayern boss came against Cologne a few days later, when the sides shared five goals in the second half. The champions coughed up a two-goal lead but Serge Gnabry struck for the second time for Nagelsmann's first league win.

Watch: Bayern's brilliance against Bochum

It was then that Bayern clicked into gear. Robert Lewandowski hit a hat-trick in a 5-0 rout of Hertha Berlin and they then won 4-1 at out-of-sorts of Leipzig. On Matchday 5 against Bochum, Nagelsmann's team went top of the Bundesliga for the first time. Leroy Sane - thriving again after being switched from the right to the left wing - got the opener with a brilliant free-kick. Joshua Kimmich got the second from close range before Gnabry raced in for the third, while an own goal from Vasilis Lampropoulos made it a four-goal game at the break. Promoted Bochum were caught in the headlights, and Lewandowski tapped in to score for a record 13th home game in a row. Kimmich completed his first Bundesliga double when finishing off another good move, and before the end substitute Eric-Maxim Choupo Moting got the 50th Bundesliga goal of his career. The Bochum drubbing would turn out to be the biggest win by any team in 2021/22, and one of four Bundesliga matchdays on which Bayern would score five goals or more in the first half of the campaign. The champions had well and truly found their groove under Nagelsmann.

MD13: Bayern Munich 1-0 Arminia Bielefeld
Goals: 1-0 Sane 71' (assist: Müller)

Having reached the top of the table after Bochum, Bayern were never knocked off their perch at the end of a Bundesliga Matchday. Things would have been different, however, had they not eked out a win over Arminia Bielefeld in late November. Bayern had lost 2-1 at Augsburg the week before, and they stood to finish the weekend in second if they dropped points again.

The champions were not at their best against the team lying second from bottom, and it was starting to look like they wouldn't be able to find a way past Stefan Ortega. A rejuvenated Sane, though, produced a match-winning moment with 19 minutes left. The former Schalke and Manchester City attacker shifted his feet sharply on the edge of the area before unleashing a shot that arrowed high into the net. It marked Bayern's 102nd Bundesliga goal of the calendar year, and also meant they had set yet another new league record.

Watch: Sane's screamer against Bielefeld

MD14: Borusia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich
Goals: 1-0 Brandt 5' (assist: Bellingham), 1-1 Lewandowski 9' (assist: Müller), 1-2 Coman (44'), 2-2 Haaland 48' (assist: Bellingham), 2-3 Lewandowski (pen. 77')

The win over Bielefeld meant Bayern went into the Klassiker a point ahead of Dortmund rather than two points behind. Bayern had already won 3-1 in Dortmund back in August to claim the DFL Supercup, but the home side had won seven from seven there in the league. And BVB did catch Bayern cold that December night, with Julian Brandt twisting free to thump home the opener on five minutes. Thomas Mülller paved the way for Bayern to quickly level, though, forcing an error from Mats Hummels to allow Robert Lewandowski to score. Erling Haaland then shot just wide for Dortmund but it was Bayern who led at the break - a deflected effort from Kingsley Coman finding the net.

Dortmund needed their star striker to step up, and Haaland did just that on 48 minutes when he scored his sixth career goal against Bayern. A brilliant first-time finish got Dortmund back on terms in what turned into another pulsating match, but Bayern were given the chance to edge in front once more when Hummels was penalised for handball. Lewandowski - who had also struck twice against his former team in the Supercup - just squeezed his 77th-minute penalty past Gregor Kobel. It was his 26th goal against Dortmund and his 16th league goal of the campaign. Bayern held on in a fiery encounter for their sixth Klassiker success in succession and - more importantly - moved four points clear of their closest rivals.

Watch: Lewandowski wins a classic Klassiker 

MD21: Bayern Munich 3-2 RB Leipzig
Goals: 1-0 Müller (12'), 1-1 Silva (27'), 2-1 Lewandowski (assist: Coman) 44', 2-2 Nkunku (assist: Laimer) 53', 3-2 Gvardiol (o.g. 58')

Another big test for Nagelsmann came when his old club Leipzig came to visit. The Bayern boss had seen their new coach Domenico Tedesco finish top of the class when they graduated from the DFB coaching school together in 2016, and his old classmate had Leipzig motoring again after replacing Jesse Marsch in December. The visitors had won four games in a row in 2022 before facing Bayern, but it was the champions who hit first through Müller. Andre Silva then scrambled home an equaliser on 27 minutes only for Lewandowski to head home for Bayern just before half-time.

Leipzig responded soon after the restart, and it was no surprise that parity was restored by Christohper Nkunku - one of the Bundesliga’s star players in 21/22. Bayern would have the final say five minutes later, however, although they needed a touch of fortune to get back in front. Gnabry’s cross deflected in off Josko Gvardiol as the home side went 3-2 up. Once again - as league winners tend to do - Bayern had found a way to win. It was a victory - coupled with Dortmund's defeat against Leverkusen a day later - that gave them a nine-point advantage in the title race.

Watch: A five-goal thriller against Leipzig

MD31: Bayern Munich 3-1 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 1-0 Gnabry 15' (assist: Goretzka), 2-0 Lewandowski 34' (assist: Müller), 2-1 Can (pen. 52'), 3-1 Musiala 83' (assist: Sabitzer)

Winning a title is one thing, winning it with a victory in Der Klassiker is another, and Bayern did just that to wrap up a record-breaking 10th straight title in some style. Dortmund arrived at the sold-out Allianz Arena knowing only a win would give them a realistic chance of extending the race for the title, but when Serge Gnabry and Lewandowski opened up a two-goal lead for the record champions come half-time, the writing was very much on the wall.

Watch: Bayern wrap up the title in style

Emre Can gave Dortmund some hope early in the second half, though, and Bayern had to dig in deep faced with a BVB onslaught, with Lucas Hernandez making some outstanding interventions to keep Dortmund at bay. Jamal Musiala then sprang from the bench to put the result beyond doubt, and get the beer out of the fridge for the customary celebratory showers.