15.30 kickoffs: Bayern crush Bochum to top table, Augsburg upset Gladbach
The familiar Can-can rang out what felt like an infinite amount of times in München's Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon as the German giants routed newly promoted VfL Bochum 7-0. Julian Nagelsmann's FCB now top the table.
Only VfL Wolfsburg--who play late Sunday--have a chance of catching them.
While there were goals galore in the Bavarian capital, there was only one to be found elsewhere in the Bundesliga's 15:30 kickoffs. The Bavarian Swabians upset Gladbach 1-0 at home whilst two other fixtures ended in 0-0 draws.
Only VfL Wolfsburg--who play late Sunday--have a chance of catching them.
While there were goals galore in the Bavarian capital, there was only one to be found elsewhere in the Bundesliga's 15:30 kickoffs. The Bavarian Swabians upset Gladbach 1-0 at home whilst two other fixtures ended in 0-0 draws.
| Joshua Kimmich. |
Visiting VfL Bochum had to do without top scorer Simon Zoller, who it was revealed this week would be out long-term with an ACL tear. Former Bayern prospect Milos Pantovic took Zoller's spot in the XI. Sebastian Polter spearheaded a 4-2-3-1. Elvis Rexhbecaj worked as the ten with veterans Anthony Losilla and Robert Tesche anchoring as double-sixes behind him.
Nagelsmann rotated Jamal Musiala, Dayot Upamecano, and Benjamin Pavard back to the bench after Tuesday's UCL tie. Lucas Hernandez, Josip Stanisic and Serge Gnabry started on straightforward like-for-like swaps. The FCB donned special green-and-gold Oktoberfest kits in commemoration of Munich's famed event, regrettably canceled for the second successive year.
Bochum were able to demonstrate some forward drive early, but it was mostly the record champions who built the more promising attacks. Accuracy in the final third lacked. Serge Gnabry drew a foul in the 15th and Leroy Sané ultimately converted the ensuing direct free kick. The national team winger bent the ball beautifully around the VfL wall to score from 25 meters out.
Joshua Kimmich threw in an effort of the turn ten minutes later. Bochum defender Armel Bella Kotchap had no chance of stopping it, managing only to deflect into his own net helplessly for the 2-0. Six minutes after that, it was Gnabry's turn. The German national team's other starting winger shook off Danilo Soares on the right and then finished into the far left corner for the 3-0.
A Vasilios Lampropoulos own-goal shortly before halftime more or less confirmed that it simply wasn't Bochum's day. The German giants poured it on in the second half and very nearly scored as many goals as they did in the opening 45. Robert Lewandowski became the first player in Bundesliga history to score in 13 consecutive home games when he blasted home a rebound in the 61st.
Kimmich completed his first ever Bundesliga brace with another goal in the 65th. Eric Maxim Choupo Moting attained the 7-0 with his second straight league tally off the bench. Bochum were spared the 0-8 only by virtue of the fact that Thomas Müller's 87th minute goal was disallowed for offside.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga's 15:30 kickoffs, there was actually only one goal in three other matches. Mainz-Freiburg ended in a 0-0 draw as did Bielefeld-Hoffenheim. The latter game featured more clear cut chances whilst the former proved more of a physical midfield stalemate.
FC Augsburg earned their first victory of the season with a 1-0 upset win over Borussia Mönchengladbach. Adi Hütter's foals played superior football throughout, but were made to pay for not converting their chances when Florian Niederlechner scored off the bench in the 80th.