Bayern Munich beaten 5-0 by Borussia Monchengladbach in DFB-Pokal
By Sean Walsh
Bayern Munich's terrific start to the 2021/22 season was thrown out the window after a star-studded side were thrashed 5-0 by Borussia Monchengladbach in the DFB-Pokal.
Julian Nagelsmann is still recovering from COVID-19 and was not in attendance at Borussia Park, but a side containing Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich and Manuel Neuer among other key men started in Bayern's heaviest ever defeat in the German Cup.
Monchengladbach led with around 90 seconds on the clock when Kouadio Kone picked up a loose ball on the edge of the Bayern area and slotted cooly past Neuer.
The home side kept applying the pressure and were rewarded with a second after 15 minutes after Jonas Hoffman slotted through Ramy Bensebaini, and the Algerian secured his brace from the spot after Lucas Hernandez fouled Breel Embolo.
Bayern went into the break three down but did not make any changes for the second half, and were made to pay when Embolo made it four five minutes after half-time, before the Switzerland international notched a fifth before the hour mark.
Substitute Corentin Tolisso managed to hit the bar but that was as close as Bayern came to finding a consolation, and instead were treated like a 10-man team managed by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as the clock wound down.
This is only Bayern's second defeat of the season in all competitions after they lost 2-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt before the October international break.
It's the first time the Bavarians have lost by more than the odd goal since the start of the 2020/21 season when they were beaten 4-1 by Hoffenheim, and the first time they've conceded five goals in a game since the days of Niko Kovac - the Croatian was still in charge for a 5-1 loss to Frankfurt in November 2019.