Bayern Munich delivered a chilling statement of intent to the rest of the Bundesliga with a brutal, second-half demolition of RB Leipzig, winning 5-1 at the Red Bull Arena. After a lacklustre first half, the champions switched into what manager Vincent Kompany described as "Darth Vader mode," scoring four unanswered goals to complete a relentless comeback.
A Masterful Second-Half Transformation
The match followed a startling script. For the first 45 minutes, Leipzig were dominant, executing what their coach Ole Werner called an "almost-perfect performance." They took a deserved lead through Rômulo and could have been further ahead. Kompany admitted his side felt "twice as good" in the first period.
The interval proved decisive. Introduced at half-time, Michael Olise was the catalyst for a breathtaking Bayern onslaught. The equaliser came from intense pressing, with Dayot Upamecano stealing the ball high up the pitch to feed Serge Gnabry for his 100th club goal. Harry Kane then put Bayern ahead with a fierce drive, before late goals from Leroy Sané, Aleksandar Pavlovic, and Olise himself turned the victory into a rout.
Olise's contribution—a goal and three assists—marked the biggest impact by a Bayern substitute since Robert Lewandowski's famous five-goal haul in 2015. Kompany hailed his team's "old-school mentality" and physical commitment, which, combined with sublime quality, simply overwhelmed Leipzig.
Bundesliga Fallout and Frankfurt Sack Toppmöller
The reverberations of Bayern's dominance were felt elsewhere. Eintracht Frankfurt announced the first sacking of the new year, dismissing coach Dino Toppmöller despite a last-gasp draw at Werder Bremen. Sporting director Markus Krösche cited persistent defensive errors, with Frankfurt having conceded 39 league goals—the joint-worst record.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund capitalised on the struggles of others, snatching a late 3-2 win over St. Pauli to solidify second place. Bayer Leverkusen, however, continued to falter, losing 1-0 to Hoffenheim for their fourth defeat in six games.
At the bottom, Köln earned a crucial 2-1 comeback win over Mainz to keep survival hopes alive, thanks to a brace from substitute Ragnar Ache.
A Warning to All Challengers
This performance underscored Bayern's terrifying capacity. They have now scored 71 league goals in just 18 matches, a record pace that projects to 134 by season's end. While Kane remains a talisman, the goals are shared, with Olise and Luis Díaz also among the division's top scorers.
Kompany had demanded his team "start completely from scratch" for the Rückrunde. The emphatic, ruthless nature of this victory suggests they have done exactly that. For the rest of the Bundesliga, the message from Leipzig was ominously clear: this Bayern Munich side is locked in and ready for anything.
