Brilliant Bayern ease to 5-1 Bundesliga win over Stuttgart

Bayern Munich kick-started their Bundesliga title defence with a resounding 5-1 victory over Stuttgart thanks to a sparkling second half display at the Allianz Arena on Friday that showed they have lost none of their potency from last season.

Goals from Dayot Upamecano, Michael Olise, Aleksandar Pavlovic and Luis Diaz capped a superb performance from the hosts during which they also missed several other opportunities.

It was a mixed night for Stuttgart’s Josha Vagnoman, who scored at both ends having briefly equalised early in the second half, as Bayern extended their unbeaten run in their opening game of the new campaign to 15 matches.

Bayern won the Bundesliga title by 16 points last season, scoring a record 122 goals in the process, and there are signs they could be as dominant again as they created chance after chance against the side who finished fourth last term.

They took the lead on 21 minutes when Upamecano headed home Joshua Kimmich’s corner from close-range, deftly glancing the ball into the net.

Both teams hit the woodwork in the first half but Bayern led by the narrowest of margins at the break.

Stuttgart levelled seven minutes into the second period when Jeff Chabot was denied by a fine save from Manuel Neuer, but Vagnoman fired in the rebound.

Their joy was short-lived though as two Bayern strikes in three minutes proved decisive.

First Olise had time and space to finish after Kimmich latched onto Angelo Stiller’s poor pass and the unfortunate Vagnoman then bundled Alphonso Davies’ low cross into his own net as he slipped while trying to clear.

Olise had a goal ruled out for offside and Diaz was denied on several occasions, but Bayern did get their fourth when Ismael Saibari put the ball on a plate for Pavlovic to score a tap-in.

Diaz finally got his goal with a late strike from Saibari's pass to cap an ominous display from the Bavarians.