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Bayern 5 Hamburg 0

FCB thrash Hamburg as stars turn on the style

20.08.2011

Bayern thrillingly hit their stride for the first time this season in a thumping 5-0 demolition of hapless Hamburg on Saturday, as a host of Munich’s star men turned in electrifying performances against the shell-shocked visitors. FCB thrashed HSV 6-0 when the northerners last visited the Bavarian capital in March, but on this evidence, the Munich fans can look forward to even better attacking football this season.

The 69,000 full house at the Allianz Arena saw the alert and lively home side dominate from the off and race into a two-goal lead through Daniel van Buyten and Franck Ribery. Arjen Robben added a sublime third before half-time, and it could easily have been more had Thomas Müller’s shot not come back off the post. Mario Gomez opened his account for the season with the hour mark approaching, and sub Ivica Olic made it five with ten minutes remaining to round off a cracking victory.

The emphatic win sees Bayern up to six points from their three league fixtures so far this season, firmly establishing Jupp Heynckes’ team in the upper reaches of the nascent standings. Munich’s next match is Tuesday’s Champions League play-off return at the Letzigrund stadium in Zürich, followed by the fourth Bundesliga fixture of the 2011/12 campaign away to Kaiserslautern on Saturday afternoon.

At the midpoint of a phase featuring five games in barely more than two weeks, Heynckes chose to rotate his squad for the first time this term. One former HSV man gave way to another as Van Buyten replaced Jerome Boateng at centre-half, with Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Müller taking over from Luiz Gustavo and Toni Kroos. There were no changes at all to the fearsome front three, as Ribery, Robben and Gomez all reported fit from minor injuries sustained against Zürich in midweek.

After referee Michael Weiner whistled play underway on a fine summer afternoon in Munich, Heynckes’ men tore into their opponents with the clear intention of wrapping up the points as rapidly as possible. Gomez dragged the first chance wide and Robben headed Bastian Schweinsteiger’s cross straight at Hamburg keeper Jaroslav Drobny, but the cowed visitors could not resist much longer and Van Buyten headed the 13th-minute opener from Robben’s chipped free-kick.

Four minutes later, Bayern doubled the advantage when Müller thrust down the inside right channel and squared, for Ribery to worm past two defenders and fire across Drobny into the far corner. Ribery then had a shot blocked and Drobny saved from Müller, but FCB took a brief breather and Dennis Diekmeier drew a first save of the day from Manuel Neuer.

Heynckes’ side picked up the pace again on the half-hour and Drobny made a fine reaction save from Gomez’ powerful downward header, but the keeper could do nothing to prevent Robben adding the third with a glorious chip off the outside of his left boot after the Dutch ace had wormed his way past three defenders into the Hamburg box.

It could have been more before the interval as the home side continued to dominate at will, but Robben fired wide and Müller was twice desperately unlucky, first controlling a cross superbly on his chest but firing against he upright, and then losing out to Jeffrey Bruma in a one-on-one charge at goal.

The one-way traffic continued after the restart, Müller volleying Gomez’ inviting lay-up wide of the target and Tymoshchuk missing by inches with a thunderbolt drive, before Gomez finally made it four after 56 minutes with a dash to the by-line and angled finish under Drobny’s despairing dive.

The keeper bravely blocked from Ribery and Müller, and stood his ground to claim another looping Robben effort, but he could have done nothing to prevent Müller making it five from a fine Philipp Lahm cut-back had the Germany striker kept his shot a shade lower. Applause then rang round the Arena as David Alaba took over from Robben, Olic replaced Ribery, and Nils Petersen came on for Gomez, who had earlier skied a promising chance set up cleverly by Alaba, in the closing stages.

Alaba’s terrific centre found no takers and Drobny somehow kept out a Müller effort, but Olic bravely netted the fifth with a lunge to turn Holger Badstuber’s header from a corner over the line ten minutes from the end. There were further chances as the clock ran down, but FCB ultimately settled for five goals and a win which sends out a strong signal to the rest of the German top flight.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley

MATCH STATS

Bayern Munich - Hamburger SV 5-0 (H-T: 3-0)

Bayern Munich: Neuer - Rafinha, Van Buyten, Badstuber, Lahm - Tymoshchuk, Schweinsteiger - Robben (Alaba 66), Müller, Ribéry (Olic 71) - Gomez (Petersen 76)

Substitutes: Butt, Boateng, Gustavo, Kroos

Hamburger SV: Drobny - Diekmeier (Tesche 68), Bruma, Mancienne, Aogo - Westermann, Jarolim - Rincon, Jansen - Töre (Kacar 68), Son (Elia 87)

Substitutes: Mickel, Skjelbred, Castelen, Berg

Referee: Michael Weiner (Giesen)

Spectators: 69,000 (capacity)

Goals: 1-0 Van Buyten (13), 2-0 Ribéry (17), 3-0 Robben (34), 4-0 Gomez (56), 5-0 Olic (80)

Yellow Cards: Tymoshchuk, Rafinha / Aogo, Westermann, Mancienne, Jansen

Credit: FC Bayern Munich (www.fcbayern.t-com.de)