GERMANY WINGER Serge Gnabry netted twice as Bayern Munich swept back to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday with a 4-1 away win at Cologne.
After RB Leipzig had claimed top spot in Germany’s top flight for 24 hours with a 3-0 home win against Werder Bremen on Saturday, Bayern wasted no time in regaining first place in Cologne.
Bayern have won seven of their last eight league games, the only recent setback being last Sunday’s goalless draw with Leipzig.
Robert Lewandowski and Kingsley Coman netted for Bayern to add to Gnabry’s brace while Mark Uth, on loan from Schalke, scored Cologne’s consolation goal.
Bayern were 3-0 up after 12 minutes as they blitzed the Cologne defence.
The Bundesliga’s top scorer Robert Lewandowski claimed his 23rd league goal with clinical finishing after Thomas Mueller’s pass put him in behind the defence on three minutes.
Lewandowski then moved the ball in the box to Mueller, whose pass found Coman to beat Cologne goalkeeper Timo Horn, making it 2-0 after only five minutes.
It was Mueller’s 14th assist this season, leaving him second only to Manchester City’s Kevin de Bruyne, on 16, for chances created in Europe’s top five leagues.
Gnabry then made it 3-0 when his shot gave Horn no chance on its way into the bottom corner to leave the home crowd stunned.
With 15 minutes gone, Horn was the only Cologne player in double figures for touches of the ball — three of his 10 were picking the ball out of his net.
Gnabry then fired wide, midfielder Joshua Kimmich hit the post and Mueller went close as Bayern kept up the pressure as it stayed 3-0 at half-time.
However, Cologne went for broke in the second-half.