FIVE STARS
Ruthless Bayern turn on style to dump rivals Leverkusen and retake top spot in the Bundesliga
BAYERN LEVERKUSEN gaffer Gerardo Seone admitted his side had been simply blown away by Europe’s elite as Bayern Munich returned to the Bundesliga summit with a 5-1 rout.
Robert Lewandowski put the away side ahead after just three minutes before a stunning burst of four goals in seven first-half minutes put Julien Nagelsmann’s side in complete control.
Lewandowski added a second on the half hour and Serge Gnabry struck twice after a Thomas Muller effort.
The win lifted Bayern back above Borussia Dortmund who had temporarily gone top following a 3-1 win over Mainz on Saturday.
And Seone held his hands up as he hailed the clinical frontline of Bayern on their way to a ruthless three points.
He said: “Bayern showed us today why they are the best team in Germany and one of the best in Europe.”
Bayern took the lead in just three minutes when Dayot Upamecano crossed into the six-yard box where Lewandowski scored with a back-heel.
Munich were relentless in attack and Leroy Sane nearly doubled the lead but the German winger’s shot hit the post while Leon Goretzka also forced Lukas Hradecky into making a save. Lewandowski made it 2-0 at the half-hour mark when a Bayern counter-attack allowed left-back Alphonso Davies to dribble his way into the box and set-up the striker for a simple tap-in.
Bayern then scored three goals in three minutes with Mueller tapping in from close range before Gnabry netted twice, benefiting from a Mueller assist and then a
lay-off from Goretzka as Leverkusen failed to deal with the constant press.
Delighted Lewandowski said: “When you score five goals in 45 minutes it shows the kind of football we played. After 45 minutes it was clear that we could go back to
Munich with three points.”
In Italy, Victor Osimhen scored an 81st-minute winner as Napoli beat Torino 1-0 to return to the top of the Serie A table and register a record- equalling eighth win in eight games.
Luciano Spalletti’s side are top with 24 points, two clear of second-placed AC Milan.
An eighth consecutive victory means Napoli have equalled their best start to a top flight season from 201718, when they finished second behind Juventus.
Atalanta warmed up for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with Manchester United at Old Trafford with a 4-1 win at Empoli.
Josip Ilicic scored twice in a win that leaves the Bergamo side in sixth place in Serie A.
In the Netherlands, Vitesse Arnhem fans celebrated their 1-0 win at NEC Nijmegen by jumping up and down – only for the stand to collapse.
In Italy, Juventus made it 12 victories in 13 home games with Moise Kean heading the only goal to beat Roma.