- Bayern Munich defeated Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League.
- Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, and Sadio Mane each scored goals to help the Bundesliga winners to victory.
- Bayern now has a total of nine points from their first three games thanks to the victory.
Bayern Munich defeated Viktoria Plzen easily to maintain their unblemished start in Group C of the Champions League.
Within the first 21 minutes, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry, and Sadio Mane each scored goals to help the Bundesliga winners to victory.
Just after the break, Sane made it four, and Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting finished off the rout. Bayern now has a total of nine points from their first three games thanks to the victory.
Joshua Kimmich and Thomas Muller were both ruled out due to Covid, which caused Bayern to only have five outfield players on the bench as they prepared for this match. However, Sane’s outstanding goal after just seven minutes calmed any anxiety.
The winger began the move in the middle of the field, passing to Jamal Musiala, then driving to the edge of the area and shooting the ball into the roof of the net.
A counterattack by Plzen was stopped by Bayern six minutes later when Goretzka carried the ball into the middle of the field and passed it to Gnabry, who scored off the inside of the post.
On 21 minutes, any tiny lingering questions regarding the result were answered. In the buildup, Mane had a fortunate deflection from a defender, but it was his speed and anticipation that allowed him to rush onto the loose ball and score at the near post.
After that, Musiala’s goal was disallowed for offside, but just after the half, Sane raced onto a lofted through pass from Mane, controlled it with the outside of his left foot, and beat Plzen goalkeeper Marian Tvrdon to make it 4-0. Sane now has four goals in three Champions League games after the goal.
Before the hour, Bayern had scored five goals, with Goretzka again providing the through ball from midfield that Choupo-Moting, a recent substitution, curled in from 15 yards out.
Bayern is still struggling at home; Julian Nagelsmann’s team is currently third in the Bundesliga, trailing surprise leaders Union Berlin and Freiburg.
However, in Europe, where they were drawn in a group with Barcelona and Inter Milan that first appeared to be challenging, they are playing up to their reputation as one of the tournament favorites.
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