Mane Double As Free-scoring Bayern Rout Bochum 7-0
By AFP
Sadio Mane scored two goals, including one from the penalty spot, as Bayern Munich routed hapless Bochum 7-0 to extend their perfect start to the Bundesliga season on Sunday.
Despite never scoring a penalty during his time in the Premier League, Mane converted from the spot in the 60th minute and looks to have replaced the departed Robert Lewandowski as the Bavarians’ designated penalty taker.
Bayern has now scored 19 goals in four competitive games since the Pole departed for Barcelona in the summer.
Former Man City forward Leroy Sane, making his first start of the season, opened the scoring after four minutes, nonchalantly curling a strike into the top right of the net from the edge of the penalty area.
Bayern’s energy and the pace continued to trouble Bochum, with Dutch defender Matthijs de Ligt celebrating his first goal in Bayern colours after heading in a cross in the 25th minute.
Replays showed the ball went in off de Ligt’s arm, but after a short VAR review, the goal stood.
Kingsley Coman added a third after 33 minutes before laying on Mane’s opener in the 42nd minute.
After Mane’s penalty made it 5-0, Bochum defender Cristian Gamboa scored their own goal while trying to keep the ball away from the feet of Sane with 69 minutes gone.
Serge Gnabry added Bayern’s seventh in the 76th minute.
Bayern, who surprisingly lost 4-2 in the corresponding fixture last season, reclaimed the top spot in the table.
They are the only Bundesliga team to have won all three of their opening matches.
– Frankfurt remain winless –
Eintracht Frankfurt’s winless start to the season continued as the Europa League holders drew 1-1 at home to Cologne.
Speaking directly after the match, Frankfurt goalkeeper Kevin Trapp said the equaliser should have been struck off, complaining that his sight had been obstructed by Cologne’s Florian Dietz, who was offside.
“I’m sorry, but if there’s someone standing there, it’s offside… I can’t even see the ball.”
“We were clearly the better team, we should have won the game.”
Despite the controversial goal, Frankfurt manager Oliver Glasner said he saw signs of progress in his team.
“Today we got really close. We’re just missing a few small things. I can live with a draw.”
Glasner brought on Daichi Kamada in the 69th minute and the Japanese midfielder made an immediate impact, scoring from a free-kick just two minutes later.
Replays showed the free-kick was aided on its way by a slight deflection off Cologne captain and Germany defender Jonas Hector.
Cologne struck back in the 82nd minute through Jan Thielmann, who superbly latched onto a poor clearance from Ansgar Knauff, hammering the ball into the bottom left corner.
Frankfurt, who will play in the Champions League this season for the first time since losing the 1960 European Cup final to Real Madrid, now have two points from their opening three Bundesliga games.
