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Bayern Munich have cruised to a commanding 5-0 victory over Viktoria Plzen at the Allianz Arena this evening to close in on a place in the last 16 of the Champions League.
Leroy Sane continued his fine start to the group stage with a brace, and he was joined on the scoresheet by Serge Gnabry, Sadio Mane and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting as Julian Nagelsmann’s men continued their 100% start to the competition.
The result on the night was beyond doubt with less than a quarter of the game gone as Bayern blitzed their overwhelmed visitors with three goals inside the opening 21 minutes.
It could have been even worse before half time too as Jamal Musiala saw his goal at the end of a slick team move ruled out by the narrowest of margins.
Second-half strikes from Sane and half-time substitute Choupo-Moting capped off the result for a Bayern side who never needed to get out of second gear ahead of Die Klassiker with Borussia Dortmund this weekend.
Neither the result nor the size of it was a particular surprise considering Bayern had taken 73 of the last 75 points on offer to them in home Champions League group games, and had scored at least five times in both of their previous home games against Plzen.
Even so, the level of their dominance still seemed to shock their visitors, with Sane beginning the rout in style by bursting between two defenders and lashing his finish into the top corner from the edge of the area.
Gnabry then swept home to double the advantage after being found by Leon Goretzka, before Mane got in on the act to make it 3-0 after just 21 minutes.
Sane’s second of the night six minutes after the interval means that he has now been directly involved in 16 goals from his last 11 Champions League starts, having earlier become the first German player to score in each of Bayern’s first three Champions League games in a season since Karl-Heinz Rummenigge in 1980-81.
Choupo-Moting then made it five just before the hour mark, collecting another Goretzka pass before placing his finish in off the post with only the keeper to beat.
While Bayern have struggled by their usual standards domestically this season, they have made light work of the supposed ‘Group of Death’ so far, beating Inter Milan and Barcelona to sit top on maximum points.
Victory over Plzen in the return fixture next week, coupled with other results falling kindly for them in the double-header between Inter and Barcelona, could see Bayern qualify for the last 16 before having to face either of their fellow Group C heavyweights again.
Tonight’s result also means that Bayern have now set records for the longest unbeaten run and winning run in the history of the Champions League group stages.
