Fortuna Dusseldorf 0-4 Bayern Munich: Flick's revival continues in style
Three weeks after the 5-1 loss at Frankfurt that cost Niko Kovac his job, Bayern Munich claimed a third successive win under Hansi Flick.
Published : Nov 23, 2019 23:49 IST
Bayern Munich maintained its 100 per cent record under Hansi Flick and closed the gap on Bundesliga leader Borussia Monchengladbach to one point with a dominant 4-0 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf.
The champion had suffered a shocking 5-1 defeat in its last away game three weeks ago - a result that brought an end to Niko Kovac's tenure as head coach - but it was on the right side of a thumping victory on this occasion.
Goals from Benjamin Pavard, Corentin Tolisso and Serge Gnabry put the game beyond Dusseldorf inside 34 minutes and ensured a superb first-half performance from Bayern was suitably rewarded.
With three points secured, the Bavarians did not hit the same heights after the interval but Philippe Coutinho added a fourth goal and they have now won each of their three games under interim coach Flick, scoring 10 and conceding none.
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The only surprise was Robert Lewandowski's failure to score for the first time this season in the Bundesliga, the striker having managed 16 goals in Bayern's first 11 games.
Flick's men were ahead inside 11 minutes. A short corner from Thomas Muller found Joshua Kimmich all alone and his low cross towards Pavard found its way into the net, with uncertainty over whether the full-back or Dusseldorf's Alfredo Morales had got a touch.
Both Lewandowski and Coutinho went close before a dismal error from Dusseldorf goalkeeper Zack Steffen enabled the visitor to score a second. Under little pressure, Steffen passed the ball straight to Muller and Dusseldorf's scrambling defenders were unable to recover as Gnabry's cross was converted by Tolisso.
The game effectively ended as a contest when Gnabry scored himself, after the influential Muller had turned Pavard's low cross into his path.
After the host's best spell of the game, during which Rouwen Hennings spurned a great opportunity, Lewandowksi diverted an effort wide at the near post and then saw a powerful header tipped away by Steffen.
The Poland forward did claim an assist with 20 minutes remaining, though, as he beat his man on the left of the area and clipped in a cross that narrowly evaded Muller but left Coutinho with a tap-in.
What does it mean? Flick making strong case to keep control
Speaking during the international break, Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge confirmed Flick would remain in charge "at least until Christmas and possibly beyond". The response of the club's players to his appointment suggests there is no need to rush the search for a full-time successor to Kovac. Put simply, Bayern looks like Bayern once again and Gladbach's 2-0 loss at Union Berlin means it is now right on the leader's heels.
Magnificent Muller on song
Having been in and out of Bayern's starting XI under Kovac this season, Muller has started all three games under Flick and was integral to this win. The experienced forward was involved in all four goals, while a glorious first-half flick to Lewandowski summed up his confident display.
Steffen shocker punished
Steffen will not want to see replays of Bayern's second goal. His sloppy pass put Dusseldorf in all sorts of trouble and the visitors were in no mood to pass up such a golden chance. What's next?
Bayern will look to maintain its momentum under Flick when it faces Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday. Its next league game is at home to Bayer Leverkusen next Saturday, the same day Dusseldorf travels to Hoffenheim.
| Key Opta Stats: - Lewandowski has failed to score a goal against Dusseldorf in five Bundesliga games against it. - Bayern has scored at least three times in each of its last six Bundesliga matches with Dusseldorf. It has not got a run like this against any other current top-flight team. - The last Bayern boss to get off to a better start than Hansi Flick's record from three games in charge was Carlo Ancelotti (three wins and 13 goals scored, none conceded). - Pavard has scored three goals in 19 appearances for Bayern. At his former club, Stuttgart, he netted only two goals in 88 competitive games. - Manuel Neuer celebrated his 251th win in the Bundesliga and is now third in the all-time rankings, only Oliver Kahn (310) and Manfred Kaltz (291) won more German top-flight matches. |