SAN FRANCISCO, November 03, (THEWILL) –Â Goal-machine Robert Lewandowski scored twice for Bayern Munich as the German champions maintained their 100 per cent start in the UEFA Champions League with a rollicking 6-2 win at Salzburg despite an initial scare on Tuesday.
The defending champions, who had eased to victory over Atletico Madrid in their opening game and then saw off Lokomotiv Moscow, looked as though they might come unstuck in Austria after Japanese right midfielder Masaya Okugawa levelled matters at 2-2 in the 66th minute – just 54 seconds after he was introduced as a substitute.
However, Bayern took the game a notch higher and Jerome Boateng, Leroy Sane, Lewandowski and Lucas Hernandez all scored inside the final 11 minutes to clinch the points.
The late flurry leaves Bayern sitting pretty at the summit of Group A with nine points, five clear points ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid. Salzburg, meanwhile, are bottom having picked up just one point from their opening three games.
Bayern were slow off the blocks and went behind for the first time in 11 Champions League games when German centre forward Mergim Berisha slotted past Bayern keeper Manuel Neuer at his near post after Sekou Koita’s shot was deflected into his path.
German winger Serge Gnabry had a superb effort disallowed for offside in the 15th minute before Lewandowski scored his first Champions League goal of the campaign. Bayern’s central attacking midfielder Thomas Muller had been tripped by Zambian midfielder Enock Mwepu in the box and Lewandowski slotted home from 12 yards.
Bayern forged ahead in the 44th minute when Danish left back Rasmus Kristensen headed Muller’s cross into his own net from close range.
Kingsley Coman clipped the crossbar from 10 yards shortly after the hour mark, just before substitute Okugawa equalised for Salzburg with his first touch after Lewandowski had been caught in possession.
Bayern them came storming back in the closing stages. Boateng put the Bundesliga champions back in front with a powerful header from a Joshua Kimmich’s corner in the 79th minute.
Substitute Sane curled a superb effort into the top-left corner four minutes later following a teasing cross by Kimmich. And Lewandowski added to the comeback with his second two minutes from time with a back-post header from Javi Martinez’s pinpoint cross.
A final flourish was given to the total scoreline deep in stoppage time when Hernandez lashed into the roof of the net to cap a third group-stage win in style.
The flattering and emphatic nature of the scoreline aside, Bayern did not have it all their own against an impressive Salzburg side, who forced Neuer into eight saves from their 18 shots.
However, Bayern’s firepower ultimately proved too strong for Jesse Marsch’s charges. The champions stretch their unbeaten away run in the Champions League to 15 games. Only Manchester United (16, between 2007 and 2010) have achieved a longer streak in the UCL.
Kimmich continued his superb form in the Champions League. Two assists from five chances created in the game takes his goal involvements in six games in the competition to nine (two goals, seven assists).
In their last games before the international break, Bayern travel to Borussia Dortmund for “Der Klassiker” on Saturday, while Salzburg go to Rapid Vienna in domestic action a day later.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
