Nagelsmann feels Bayern deserved even more goals in thumping Leverkusen win

Julian Nagelsmann was pleased with Bayern Munich’s display in their 5-1 thrashing of Bayer Leverkusen but felt his side should have added even more goals to their tally.

The reigning champions responded to their first defeat of Nagelsmann’s tenure two weeks ago against Eintracht Frankfurt with a superb attacking display at BayArena on Sunday.

Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry each scored a first-half double and Thomas Muller was also on target in between those braces, all in the space of 37 minutes.

It marked the first time Bayern have scored five goals away from home in the first half of a Bundesliga match as they reclaimed top spot from Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern also hit the post through Leroy Sane, whose eight shots was the most of any player in a game this campaign in the German top flight.

And with Patrik Schick getting a consolation for Leverkusen in the second half, Nagelsmann does not believe the scoreline was a true reflection come full-time.

“We had an incredible number of closing situations and an outstanding structure,” he told DAZN. 

“It sounds strange at 5-0, but we also had a chance of scoring sixth, seventh and eighth goals in the first half. We could have scored more.

“The second half was more calm and that’s completely normal from both teams’ point of view. 

“A lot of things we didn’t do well against Frankfurt worked out today. In the end we are very happy to win the game.”

Only twice before in Bundesliga history has an away side scored five goals in a quicker time from kick-off – Dortmund against Schalke (23 minutes) and Karlsruhe versus Frankfurt (30 minutes), both in 1964.

There have been 10 occasions when teams have scored five or more goals in the first half of a Bundesliga game this century, with Bayern responsible for six of those 45-minute thrashings, including when they put five past Dortmund before the break in March 2018 on the way to a 6-0 win.

Leverkusen are no strangers to one-sided first halves, meanwhile, as they are the only team to have scored six goals in the opening 45 minutes of a match in the division since the turn of the millennium, doing so in their 6-1 win over Frankfurt in 2018-19.

“It was a terrible beginning,” Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky added. “We have to ask ourselves whether we gave it our all. There was something missing from everyone today.”

Lewandowski’s two goals came from three shots as the Poland international brought an end to his mini drought.

His run of scoring in 15 successive league games was ended prior to the international break when failing to net against Greuther Furth and then Frankfurt, before also going scoreless in Poland’s double-header of October fixtures.

The 33-year-old has now scored two or more goals in 73 different Bundesliga games – a tally bettered only by late Bayern great Gerd Muller (87) – and was happy to joke about his short-lived scoreless run after getting back on the scoresheet.

5 – There’s only been two instances of a Bundesliga team scoring five goals earlier in an away match than FC Bayern have done so today (37 minutes) – Dortmund in 1964 at Schalke (after 23 minutes) and Karlsruhe also in 1964 in Frankfurt (30 minutes). Flood. #B04FCB pic.twitter.com/OqeT8LNlId

— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) October 17, 2021

“Four games without a goal… which four games? Do you mean training? I scored in the Champions League game before the Frankfurt match,” Lewandowski pointed out.

“Personally, I’m happy when people ask when I’ll score my next goal. That shows what expectations they have of me.

“Sometimes there are phases when the ball doesn’t fall to you, you have to be patient. Today it worked out twice.

“We scored five goals in 45 minutes. At the break it was clear we would take all three points with us to Munich. We can be satisfied with the performance.”

The 29 goals scored by Bayern in their opening eight Bundesliga matches equals their previous highest tally at this stage in a campaign from the 1976-77 season.