No places like home

HOME advantage appears to be evaporating without fans generating a real atmosphere at the ground.

Cardboard cut-outs and virtual supporters may give the illusion of a crowd but they fail to fire up players, according to new statistics from the Bundesliga.

Home teams won 43 per cent of matches with fans, but before yesterday’s fixtures, that had dropped to just 19 per cent without a crowd. Even before some shock road wins yesterday away teams had won

44 per cent of games since the return, compared to 35 per cent before lockdown.

Bottom-six clubs could most fear the loss of home edge. They won 30 per cent of homes before, now it’s just 10 per cent.

PEP GUARDIOLA probably thought the Bundesliga’s early restart would allow him to do a scouting job on his former club from the comfort of his armchair.

If so, the Manchester City boss would have been tempted to switch off early after Bayern Munich wasted no time giving an HD view of why they should be regarded as the biggest threat to Guardiola’s Champions League dreams this season.

It took the German champions less than 52 minutes to score five times – and seal their fourth successive win since returning to action.

Helped by Mathias Jorgensen’s early own goal, they were home and hosed by the break thanks to strikes from Benjamin Pavard and the deadly Robert Lewandowski.

It was a struggle for Fortuna boss Uwe Rosler to drag himself to the dressing room at half-time to try to rally his relegation-threatened side.

Soon after the restart, Rosler probably felt like heading back down the tunnel again as Lewandowski and Alphonso Davies added to the home side’s tally.

What a pity there were no fans in the Allianz Arena for this stunning display. Instead, all the goals were celebrated with piped music.

The ‘Can-Can’ was the tune of choice – but Guardiola will have probably fancied something a bit stronger than beer, as Bayern illustrated that lockdown has done nothing to quell them.

They are 10 points clear at the top now. And on this form they will take some stopping as they eye a sixth European crown as well.

Guardiola will be hoping for a similar statement of intent when City return against Arsenal on June 17.

Liverpool are unlikely to need too much time to seize the Premier League title away from the reigning champions. So City will be hoping to return the favour by taking the Champions League away from Merseyside.

Bayern have a striker who is putting even Sergio Aguero in the shade. Now 31, Lewandowski gets better with age.

The Pole’s pair here took his season’s tally to 47 goals in 43 games for club and country.

It is the fifth campaign on the trot he has found the net at least 40 times.

Twenty-nine of them this term have come in the Bundesliga. And he will now have his sights on breaking the 40-goal record set by Bayern legend Gerd Muller 48 years ago.

Munich’s form following their return to action has been sensational.

Before they stepped out against Fortuna, there had been 32 games played in the Bundesliga in the last three weeks – and only six of them had been won by the home side.

Perhaps the argument against playing Premier League games on neutral grounds isn’t so forceful.

The Germans call matches played in empty stadiums ‘ghost games’ – but Bayern are definitely alive and kicking.