Matchday 16 in the Bundesliga was brought to a close on Sunday afternoon, with Bayern Munich playing host to VfL Wolfsburg at the Allianz Arena.
Vincent Kompany made four changes to the side that dispatched Heidenheim 4-0 in the final game before the winter break, returning to a youthful look in midfield with Tom Bischoff and Aleksander Pavlovic coming in for Raphaël Guerreiro and Leon Goretzka.
The visitors, meanwhile, sat 14th in the table – just three points above the relegation zone – and were looking to spark an upturn in form in the second half of the campaign, making three changes from the side that suffered a 4–3 home defeat to Freiburg before the winter break.
It goes without saying, however, that a trip to the Rekordmeister was hardly the ideal game for Daniel Bauer to begin his permanent reign, especially when you consider the clubs’ head-to-head record in recent years. Bayern hadn’t tasted defeat to die Wölfe in 25 matches, a run stretching all the way back to January 2015.
It did not take long for Kompany’s side to take the lead. Luis Díaz found himself in space on the left wing before his deflected cross was met by Kilian Fischer, who, under pressure from Michael Olise, inadvertently put the ball into his own net.
Díaz should have made it two in double-quick time after an exquisite through ball from Michael Olise set the Colombian through, his effort rolling just the wrong side of Kamil Grabara’s goalpost.
The visitors would not be behind for long, however. Konstantinos Koulierakis stepped into space before picking out Lovro Majer, the Croatian’s through ball taking Dayot Upamecano completely out of the equation as Dženan Pejčinović was sent through on goal. The former Bayern academy man made no mistake with the finish past Manuel Neuer.
Bayern retook the lead as the clock ticked past the half-hour mark. Michael Olise, whose cross put it on a silver platter for Díaz, saw the winger easily head home from inside the six-yard box. The hosts had a golden chance to make it 3–1 before half-time. Konrad Laimer played a defence-splitting pass through to Lennart Karl, but one-on-one with Grabara, he sent his shot straight into the arms of the Polish stopper.
The mercurial Michael Olise grabbed his goal within five minutes of the restart with a stunning solo effort, cutting inside and beating three players before giving Grabara no chance. Within moments, Bayern put the game out of reach of the visitors when Olise was sent through by Harry Kane. The Frenchman then laid the ball off for Díaz to grab his second of the game.
Halfway through the second half, Bayern turned on the style as Guerreiro made it five with a neat finish. Moments later, Harry Kane picked up the ball and placed his effort perfectly into the top corner, striking the junction of post and crossbar. Bayern did not let up, with Olise grabbing his second of the game with a composed finish to make it 7–1. Leon Goretzka then got in on the act with two minutes to go, reaching a ball that looked to be lost, and it somehow found its way past Grabara.
This was always going to be a tough afternoon for the visitors, but despite the scoreline, they gave a good account of themselves in the first half before capitulating after the break. Bayern, however, were simply relentless in the second half, underlining their dominance with a ruthless display that left no doubt about the gap between themselves and the chasing pack.
Manuel Neuer (7) – Konrad Laimer (6), Dayot Upamecano (6), Jonathan Tah (7), Josip Stanišić (6) – Aleksander Pavlović (6), Tom Bischoff (6) – Michael Olise (10), Lennart Karl (6), Luis Díaz (8) – Harry Kane (7)
Others: Raphaël Guerreiro (7), Leon Goretzka (7), Felipe Chávez (-), Hiroki Itō (-), Wisdom Mike (-)
Kamil Grabara (4) – Saël Kumbedi (4), Moritz Jens (4), Konstantinos Koulierakis (4), Killian Fischer (4) – Mattias Svanberg (5), Maximilian Arnold (5) – Christian Eriksen (5), Lovro Majer (6), Patrick Wimmer (5) – Dženan Pejčinović (7)
Others: Yannick Gerhardt (6), Adam Daghim (6), Kevin Paredes (-), Pharell Hensel (-), Denis Vavro (-)
Involved in nearly every single goal, Olise had the game of his life and scored the pick of the bunch in the process with Bayern’s third goal, capping off a truly masterful display that dictated the contest from start to finish.
