Gnabry nets hat-trick as Bayern rout Schalke 8-0 in record win
Bayern Munich’s Serge Gnabry (left) celebrates with his team-mate Benjamin Pavard after scoring a goal against Schalke during their German League match on Friday. Associated Press
On Friday, Serge Gnabry netted a hat-trick in Bayern’s record win behind closed doors on the opening day of a new Bundesliga season.
The jaw-dropping result is the highest win in an opening game of a new Bundesliga season - five weeks to the day after their 8-2 thrashing of Barcelona in the Champions League.
The defending champions carried on where they left off 26 days after winning the Champions League final with their 22nd-straight victory dating back to February.
With the biggest opening win in Bundesliga history, Bayern showed they had lost none of sharpness that helped them to lift the Champions League trophy less than a month ago in dominant fashion.
Germany winger Leroy Sane marked his bayern debut by creating two goals for Gnabry, then added one of his own in the goalfest at the Allianz Arena.
Leon Goretzka, Thomas Mueller and Robert Lewandowksi also netted as the all-conquering European champions
For the first time since March, some German league clubs were able to welcome back fans, depending on permission from local health authorities.
In front of 8,500 in Bremen, Hertha defender Peter Pekarik and Belgian winger Dodi Lukebakio scored quick-fire goals at the end of the first half to leave Werder 2-0 down at the break.
Bremen only just avoided relegation last season and their defensive woes continue.
Colombia striker Cordoba, signed from Cologne in mid-week, came on to start the move which Brazil Under-23 forward Matheus Cunha finished as Hertha went 3-0 up with an hour gone.
Davie Selke scored Bremen’s second-half consolation goal before Cordoba capped his debut by tucking home Hertha’s fourth goal on 90 minutes.
Bayern played behind closed doors due to the rising rate of new infections in Munich and Cologne also had plans to welcome back fans scuppered by the local health authority before their 3-2 home defeat to Hoffenheim.
In front of empty terraces in Cologne, Andrej Kramaric scored a hat-trick for Hoffenheim.
The Croatia striker put the visitors ahead after three minutes following a mix up in defence, netted a penalty and smashed home the winning goal in added time after Cologne had launched a late fight back. In Berlin, playmaker Michael Gregoritsch and winger Andre Hahn scored late goals as Augsburg beat hosts Union Berlin in front of 4,600 fans.
Newly-promoted Arminia Bielefeld earned a point with a 1-1 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt on their return to the top flight in front of 6,500.
Stuttgart, who also came up, gave Freiburg a scare with late goals by Sasa Kalajdzic and Silas Wamangituka as they fought back in a 3-2 defeat in front of 8,000.
Agencies
German League results on Saturday:
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Silva 62) Arminia Bielefeld 1 (Soukou 51)
Union Berlin 1 (Buelter 75) Augsburg 3 (Vargas 41, Gregoritsch 82, Hahn 89)
Cologne 2 (Andersson 22, Drexler 86) Hoffenheim 3 (Kramaric 4, 45+3-pen, 90+2), Werder Bremen 1 (Selke 69) Hertha Berlin 4 (Pekarik 42, Lukebakio 45+2, Cunha 63, Cordoba 90), Stuttgart 2 (Kalajdzic 71, Wamangituka 81) Freiburg 3 (Petersen 8, Sallai 26, Grifo 48)
