Five-star Bayern demolishes Freiburg to move into second spot

The champion is now on 19 points, one ahead of third-placed Freiburg, which suffered their second league loss, and four behind leader Union Berlin, which was 2-0 winners over Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern Munich players applaud fans after the match. | Photo Credit: REUTERS

Bayern Munich blasted five goals past hapless Freiburg in a 5-0 Bundesliga demolition job on Sunday to leapfrog them into second place.

The champion is now on 19 points, one ahead of third-placed Freiburg, which suffered their second league loss, and four behind leader Union Berlin, which was 2-0 winners over Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern, which squandered a two-goal lead in a 2-2 draw with Dortmund last week, quickly showed it meant business with Serge Gnabry heading in on the rebound after Freiburg keeper Mark Flekken had parried a close-range shot by Leroy Sane in the 13th minute.

The champion hogged possession and gradually upped the pressure with forward Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting doubling its lead after shaking off Matthias Ginter and threading a low shot inside the far post for his first league goal of the season.

Freiburg, whose only previous league loss was back in August, hardly got a look in and did not get a shot on target in the entire first half.

It was much of the same after the break with Bayern hitting the woodwork through Gnabry six minutes after the restart.

Sane did a better job a minute later, whipping in a superb left-footed shot past Flekken to make it 3-0 before Sadio Mane’s chip over the keeper in the 55th killed off the game.

Marcel Sabizter’s 80th-minute shot completed Bayern’s rout.