Bayern Munich 5-3 Augsburg: Hosts score five goals to open up three-point gap at top of Bundesliga table

Bayern thrashed Augsburg 5-3 in Munich to open up a three-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga.

The visitors gave Bayern a scare when Mergim Berisha scored after just two minutes, but the champions quickly responded.

Joao Cancelo beat Rafal Gikiewicz from close range after 15 minutes before two brilliant Benjamin Pavard goals made it 3-1. Any real tension was relieved when Leroy Sane popped up to head home a loose ball right before the break.

Augsburg made four half-time substitutions as Enrico Maassen made his frustration clear and was rewarded with an improved showing.

Berisha reduced the arrears with a penalty on the hour, but Alphonso Davies raced on to a Joao Cancelo cross to snuff out any hopes of an unlikely comeback with Bayern’s fifth goal 15 minutes from time.

Irvin Cardona, one of the four half-time substitutes, added a third for Augsburg with virtually the last kick of the game, capping off an impressive counter-attack, but it was nothing more than a consolation.

Second-placed Dortmund must now beat Schalke in the Revierderby to keep pace with Julian Nagelsmann’s side.

The champions looked impressive but also brittle on Saturday afternoon. They scored some excellent goals and could easily have had several more, but at the same time they looked quite vulnerable. Their defenders looked shaky under pressure and Bayern missed a guiding presence in midfield to calm things down. While they’ve left much of that poor early season form behind, there remain real issues for Julian Nagelsmann to sort out. Dortmund are no longer in the Champions League and will push the title race all the way.

Who else but the defender who managed to score not one but two great goals. The Frenchman only seems to deal in excellent goals and did so doubly at the Allianz Arena. His first was a flicked finish reminiscent of Robert Lewandowski that he just eased beyond Rafał Gikiewicz in the Augsburg goal. That came after some sloppy defending that gave Augsburg their opener.

He wasn’t done there, and added another with a sensational leaping volley late in the first half to all-but seal the victory before the break.

Bayern: Sommer 6, Upamecano 5, De Ligt 6, Pavard 7, Kimmich 6, Musiala 6, Davies 7, Cancelo 7, Gnabry 6, Mane 7, Sane 6. Subs: Blind N/A, Gravenberch N/A, Mazraoui 6, Tel 7, Muller 6

Augsburg: Gikiewicz 6, Bauer 4, Gouweleeuw 6, Pedersen 6, Gumny 4, Baumgartlinger 5, Engels 6, Berisha 7, Maier 6, Drena Beljo 5, Demirovic 5. Subs: Iago 6, Vargas N/A, Cardona 7, Mbuku N/A, Rexhbecaj 5

2' GOAL AUGSBURG - Mergim Berisha scores a brilliant opener, lifting the ball over one defender in the box before rolling his shot past Sommer.

15' GOAL BAYERN - Joao Cancelo stands up his man in the box and shifts the ball to his right before firing across goal into the far corner.

19' GOAL BAYERN - Bayern take the lead as Benjamin Pavard turns home the Sadio Mane overhead kick.

35' GOAL BAYERN - A stunning volley from Pavard doubles Bayern's lead. The French defender has a brace in the first half.

39' GREAT SAVE GIKIEWICZ - Sadio Mane spins in the box and fires towards the top corner, but a diving save from the Polish goalkeeper denies him.

45' GOAL BAYERN - Leroy Sane is on the spot to head home after a deflected cross drops out of the sky.

60’ GOAL AUGSBURG - BERISHA STEPS UP - A confident penalty from Berisha reduces the arrears but surely Bayern are in little danger of collapsing from here.

74’ GOAL BAYERN - Alphonso Davies gets an important goal which should seal victory. The Canadian runs on to a lovely Cancelo cross and slides in to score.

90’ GOAL AUGSBURG - Second-half substitute Irvin Cardona caps a late Augsburg counter with a tap-in.

Bayern: 310 - The number of senior appearances made by Benjamin Pavard before his first career brace on Saturday against Augsburg. He only scores bangers.

Augsburg: 2.34 - The visitors actually produced more expected goals than Bayern in the defeat. The hosts had 2.07 xG. Admittedly the visitors' tally was boosted by a penalty, but even so they certainly threatened the champions' defence.