Bayern stays perfect with statement win over Leverkusen
Bayern Munich's relentless first-half performance earned it a 3-0 victory against Bayer Leverkusen at Allianz Arena as it stayed perfect in the Bundesliga.
Shortly after Serge Gnabry's 25th-minute opener, Nicolas Jackson scored his first Bundesliga goal while Loic Bade turned the ball into his own net before half-time.
Leverkusen was stubborn defensively in the opening moments of the match, but the hosts caught them on the break as Tom Bischof released Gnabry, who drifted inside before firing in a low shot through Flekken.
Jackson doubled the advantage just six minutes later. The Senegalese striker managed to get in between two Leverkusen centre-backs and head Konrad Laimer's cross home from close range.
Lennart Karl went close before the break with a curling effort, similar to the one he scored against Borussia Monchengladbach, but Bayern finally got its third when Bade's attempted interception of Raphael Guerreiro's cross flew past Flekken.
Vincent Kompany's side took its foot off the gas in the second half, but Leverkusen still could not muster any clear goal-scoring opportunities as it fell to a first league defeat under Kasper Hjulmand.
Bayern has now started a Bundesliga campaign with nine consecutive wins for just the second time, after winning 10 in a row to start the 2015-2016 season, while its winning run in all competitions is up to 15.
Leverkusen, meanwhile, has lost its first away match in 38 games.
Its run of 37 unbeaten games on the road is the longest streak by any Bundesliga club, and the third biggest from teams in Europe's top-five leagues.
But, even after moving five points clear at the top of the table with nine wins from nine in the league, oshua Kimmich made it clear that his side still needs to build on its strong base.
"We are on a very good path – both in terms of football and as a team. You need this mix to win titles," he said.
"The first half of the season is about putting yourself in a good position. And we're doing that very well. But we also know that no titles are awarded in November."
Kompany was also thrilled with how his players stepped up, noting how important it was to be able to rest players with Paris Saint-Germain up next in the UEFA Champions League.
"I am just happy with the three points," he said. "From this moment on, I am more confident of what the team can do.
"Obviously, we are better when Harry plays, but we will have a top-fit Harry against Paris.
"It felt like the moment for the other lads. Now we can go into that game without any fitness concerns. Tuesday [against PSG] will be the highest intensity you can have, the highest in Europe, I think."
Leverkusen's first defeat under Hjulmand and the end of its record 37-game unbeaten came down largely to a lack of attacking intent.
"Of course, we weren't the opponent we wanted to be, and also not the opponent we could have been," he said.
"Bayern is good, OK, but nevertheless we were overall too passive, too cautious and played with too much respect.
"We're going through a difficult period right now; some players are unavailable who would certainly have been an asset in a game like this.
"But we simply weren't brave enough and were too hesitant. And that's often the case – when you play cautiously, aiming for safety, it becomes more difficult. We should have applied some pressure, but we didn't."
