Impressive Bayern win in Freiburg to stay top of the Bundesliga

FC Bayern beat Freiburg 3-1 in the Bundesliga on Sunday to stay top of the table. Dayot Upamecano and Serge Gnabry handed Bayern a two-goal lead before half-time. Freiburg pulled one back when Tom Bischof put through his own goal with ten minutes to go, but Michael Olise settled the matter deep into added time.

Munich started with Jonas Urbig in goal and Josip Stanišić, Upamecano, Jonathan Tah and Nathaniel Brown in a back four. Bischof and Konrad Laimer anchored a midfield featuring Lennart Karl, Michael Olise and Gnabry, with Harry Kane up front. Sacha Boey, Ismael Saibari, Alphonso Davies and Hiroki Ito took over from Stanišić, Gnabry, Brown and Karl in the second half.

Two up at half-time

Bayern were in the driving seat from the start but struggled to create anything of attacking note in the first quarter-hour. Laimer saw a shot saved, but Upamecano made a block on the edge of his own box before initiating a counter that he crowned seconds later to put Bayern in front.

Tah made a fine block against Lucas Höler before Olise saw an effort saved. Karl and Gnabry put shots wide, with Freiburg goalkeeper Mio Backhaus saving from Brown. Munich doubled the advantage shortly before the break when Brown’s fine pass released Gnabry, who scored his 100th Bundesliga goal.

Frantic finish

Clear-cut chances were at a premium after half-time. A Kane header sailed over and substitute Saibari saw an effort saved before Olise’s pinpoint pass found Brown’s diagonal run, but Backhaus saved.

Backhaus made several more saves, but Freiburg pulled one back when Bischof tried to clear Jordy Makengo’s square but put through his own goal with eight minutes remaining. The contest was frantic now and Urbig denied Igor Matanović before Boey beat Backhaus, but the flag was up for offside. Urbig made a good stop against Matthias Ginter, but the game was put to bed five minutes into added time when Olise dispossessed Backhaus on halfway and directed the ball into the empty goal.

The result means Bayern have 17 points from seven matches, level on points with Borussia Dortmund ahead of next Saturday's Klassiker in Munich. The Bavarians will be back in action on Wednesday when they entertain Magdeburg in the DFB Cup second round.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen