Five-star Bayern Munich too strong for Augsburg

Joao Cancelo scored his first goal for Bayern Munich and Benjamin Pavard struck twice as the Bundesliga leaders came from behind to beat Bavarian neighbours Augsburg 5-3 on Saturday.

Julian Nagelsmann's men were forced to do it the hard way, however, after conceding the opening goal as early as the second minute when Mergim Berisha collected Dion Beljo's flick, looped it over Cancelo's head and smashed the ball into the net. Bayern did not need long to reply and after Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry went close, Cancelo equalised with a fine shot from the right. The Pavard show began shortly afterwards as the Frenchman first finished from Sadio Mane's overhead kick before executing a textbook volley on the corner of the six-yard box. If Augsburg still had a glimmer of hope at that point, Leroy Sane all but extinguished it just before half-time with a close-range header to give Bayern a commanding lead.

The hosts were not content to stop there, though, and pushed for a fifth after the restart. Mane showed a hint of ring rust after his time on the sidelines with injury, fluffing his lines twice before Augsburg were given an unexpected lifeline. Yann Sommer could only parry Arne Maier's long-range shot and as Irvin Cardona and Matthijs de Ligt tussled for the rebound, the Bayern defender brought the attacker down. Berisha made no mistake from the penalty spot to reduce the deficit but Bayern soon restored their three-goal advantage when Alphonso Davies poked in at the back post from Cancelo's cross, putting the seal on a deserved three points for the home team and rendering Ivan Cardona's late strike nothing more than a consolation.
• Berisha has scored in all four of his competitive meetings with Bayern (in the reverse fixture, and twice in the Champions League for Salzburg).
• His winner in the reverse fixture was one of six times this season he’s broken the deadlock in matches. Only Bremen counterpart Niclas Füllkrug has done so more often (seven).
• Cancelo scored his first goal for Bayern.
• Mane's assist for Pavard was his first direct goal involvement since returning from injury.
• Pavard's goals took him to six in all competitions in 2022/23 (three in the Bundesliga), a single-season personal best.
• It was the first time the Frenchman has ever scored twice in a single game in his professional career.

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