Bayern rout Monchengladbach 5-1 in Bundesliga action

Bayern Munich routed Borussia Monchengladbach 5-1 here in its first Bundesliga game since clinching a 6th consecutive league title.

Head coach Jupp Heynckes had promised that Bayern would be fully focused despite having wrapped up the 2017-2018 championship last weekend, and his team lived up to those expectations at Allianz Arena after conceding an early goal on a Josip Drmic strike in the ninth minute.

Bayern squandered some scoring chances in the ensuing minutes during the match on Saturday but then took the lead with two goals over a five-minute stretch of the first half, Efe news reported.

Sandro Wagner drew level for Bayern in the 36th minute when he fired into an empty goal off a cross from Thomas Muller.

That combination proved lethal again five minutes later, when Wagner headed home a Muller cross.

The German-league powerhouse took complete control after the intermission and went ahead 3-1 in the 51st minute on a goal by Thiago, who pounced on goalkeeper Yann Sommer's deflection of a shot by Wagner.

David Alaba scored the fourth goal in the 67th minute on a right-footed blast from outside the area, while substitute Robert Lewandowski put the finishing touch on the rout with a goal in the 82nd minute, just 13 minutes after taking the field.

--IANS

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