DFB Pokal: Gladbach obliterate Bayern 5-0 to move into German Cup third round

Borussia Moenchengladbach sensationally struck three times in the opening 21 minutes to demolish German champions Bayern Munich 5-0 on Wednesday and dump them out of the German Cup second round following their heaviest defeat in the competition.

Gladbach’s dream start yielded two goals from Ramy Bensebaini and one from Kouadio Kone to put them in the driving seat before Breel Embolo struck twice early in the second half to kill off the game.

They became the first team to score five goals against the mighty Bavarians since Borussia Dortmund’s 5-2 win in the 2012 German Cup final, and the first ever team to score three goals in the first 21 minutes against Bayern in a German Cup game.

It was also their first ever Cup win over Bayern.

“I am absolutely shocked,” said Bayern sports director Hasan Salihamidzic. “We were just not there. We did not win a single tackle or challenge in the entire first half.

“Everything that could go wrong went wrong. Gladbach did it really well. We were absolutely not there. A blackout. It should not have happened to us in such a way.”

The Bavarians, who have scored a record 33 goals in nine league games and have added another 12 goals without conceding any in three Champions League matches, were the overwhelming favourites.

But the hosts needed just 80 seconds to open their account with Kone pouncing on a sloppy pass by Bayern’s Alphonso Davies to beat keeper Manuel Neuer.

With the Bayern defence in complete disarray, the hosts should have scored again with Jonas Hofmann and Embolo coming close as the defensive efforts by the visitors piled up.

Gladbach did it better in the 15th, outplaying the static Bayern backline for Bensebaini to thunder a Hofmann cutback past Neuer.

Before they had any time to recover Lucas Hernandez, who earlier on Wednesday had seen a six-month prison sentence suspended in Spain, clumsily brought down Embolo in the box and Bensebaini sent Neuer the wrong way with an audacious spot kick to make it 3-0.

With Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann confined to his home after testing positive for COVID-19, assistant coach Dino Topmoeller had to wait until the second half to see some decent attacks from his players.

But before they even got into any rhythm, Gladbach struck again with man-of-the-match Embolo beating two defenders, who let a high ball bounce between them, to slot the ball in through the legs of Neuer.

The Swiss bagged his second goal of the evening in the 57th, finding far too much space once more to score their fifth off the post.

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