Harry Kane marked his 100th Bundesliga appearance with a goal as Bayern Munich produced a dominant performance to thrash RB Leipzig 6-1 and move to the top of the table on Saturday
Luis Díaz stole the show with a superb hat-trick, while Aleksandar Pavlović and Michael Olise also found the net as Vincent Kompany’s side returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion.
Bayern entered the encounter following disappointing draws against Augsburg in the Bundesliga and Norwegian side Viking in the Champions League, raising questions about their defensive solidity.
However, the defending champions responded impressively, overwhelming Leipzig with their attacking quality and intensity.
Díaz opened the scoring in the 12th minute, racing onto Joshua Kimmich’s clever pass before finishing past goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt.
The Colombian then turned provider, setting up Pavlović to fire home at the near post and double Bayern’s advantage.
Olise made it 3-0 before half-time, exchanging passes with Kane before drilling a low effort into the bottom corner to leave Leipzig facing a daunting task.
Bayern continued their dominance after the break, with Díaz curling home his second goal just 95 seconds into the second half.
Kane then marked his milestone appearance by tapping in Nathaniel Brown’s cut-back to score his 102nd Bundesliga goal, extending Bayern’s advantage to five.
Díaz completed his hat-trick with 20 minutes remaining, unleashing a powerful right-footed strike from the edge of the penalty area into the bottom corner.
Leipzig managed a late consolation through Andrija Maksimović, who produced an excellent finish into the top corner during stoppage time.
Bayern’s attacking superiority was reflected in the statistics, as they registered 17 shots on target before Leipzig recorded their first in the 78th minute. Vandevoordt made 11 saves to prevent an even heavier defeat.
The victory lifted Bayern to the top of the Bundesliga standings with 14 points, following Borussia Dortmund’s goalless draw against Union Berlin earlier on Saturday.
However, Bayern’s position could change on Sunday, with Freiburg having the opportunity to move two points clear if they defeat Bayer Leverkusen.
Kompany’s side will now turn their attention to the UEFA Champions League, where they are scheduled to face Arsenal at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday, 21 October.
Meanwhile, Leipzig’s inconsistent start to the campaign continued, leaving them seventh in the table after recording three home wins and three away defeats.