Michael Olise struck twice and rewrote the Bundesliga record books as Bayern Munich ran riot in an 8-1 demolition of Wolfsburg on Sunday, opening an 11-point lead at the top of the table.
Back from the winter break, Bayern were merciless. Wolfsburg’s misery was compounded by two own goals, while Harry Kane, Luis Diaz, Leon Goretzka and Raphael Guerreiro also scored.
Still unbeaten, Bayern have dropped just four points from 16 league matches, the best return across Europe’s top five leagues this season.
"It’s not normal, and it’s not something I take for granted,” coach Vincent Kompany said. "I’ve said it often this season, but it’s the truth, and we shouldn’t forget that.”
Olise’s two assists took his Bundesliga total to 25 in just 50 appearances, the most ever by a player at that milestone.
Kane said Olise "has a good football brain” and can "come in as a No. 10 and connect the play.”
"With the end product that Michael delivers, it’s difficult for any fullback to defend against him,” Kane added.
Calling the France winger "an important factor in our game,” goalkeeper Manuel Neuer told DAZN: "The important thing is that he enjoys his football here.
"That’s what we as a team are trying to give him, and I feel he’s having a lot of fun with our team now.”
‘Can only apologize’
The victory extended Bayern’s dominance over Wolfsburg, with 21 wins and two draws in their past 23 meetings in all competitions dating back to 2015. It was Wolfsburg’s worst league defeat in club history.
Wolfsburg coach Daniel Bauer told DAZN: "We can only apologize to our fans, who put in the effort to support us, for a bitter defeat.”
Bayern’s last league loss to Wolfsburg came in January 2015, when a 23-year-old Kevin De Bruyne scored twice and added an assist in a 4-1 win, six months before his move to Manchester City.
Wolfsburg’s hopes of bucking the trend suffered an early blow when Kilian Fischer deflected a Diaz cross into his own net.
Former Bayern academy player Dzenan Pejcinovic pulled one back for Wolfsburg, but the response was swift as Olise set up Diaz on the half-hour.
Bayern accelerated again early in the second half, with Olise scoring and forcing Wolfsburg defender Moritz Jenz into another own goal within three minutes.
Guerreiro, Kane and Olise all scored inside an eight-minute spell midway through the second half, before Goretzka added another in the 88th minute.
Goretzka’s goal was Bayern’s 63rd in the league this season, more than any team has scored after 16 matchdays in Bundesliga history.
Kane’s strike, a curling effort from the edge of the area, was his 20th league goal of the campaign, keeping him on track to challenge Robert Lewandowski’s single-season Bundesliga record of 41 set in 2020-21.
Earlier Saturday, Haris Tabakovic scored twice as Borussia Moenchengladbach cruised to a 4-0 home win over Augsburg.