Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola was a happy man after his team
oversaw Schalke 04 by 4-0 on Saturday and saw Bayern draw level with Bundesliga
leaders Borussia Dortmund.
Bayern remain second in the table on point, but are level with
Dortmund on both goal difference and points after their win in Gelsenkirchen.
After six league games, Bayern have only dropped two points
under Guardiola and are enjoying 70 per cent possession in most matches.
“That was our best performance so far in the Bundesliga, we
completely dominated against one of the best teams in Germany,” said Guardiola,
whose side host Bundesliga rivals Hanover 96 in the German Cup second round on
Wednesday.
“We did very well over the 90 minutes, which pleased me.
In Germany, you have to limit your opponents’ ability to counter-attack and we
cut down their chances and controlled the game.”
Having introduced a 4-1-4-1 formation when he took charge in
June, Guardiola has reverted to the 4-2-3-1 with which Bayern won the treble of
European, cup and league titles under Jupp Heynckes last season.
Bayern dominated the midfield, with captain Philipp Lahm
alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger in the defensive midfield positions.
“We went into the game from the first minute with a very serious
approach, the mentality was there,” said Germany star Schweinsteiger.
“We wanted to get the three points, so we are happy that we did
that. At times we were quite good, but we still have things to work on.”
While injury-hit Dortmund dropped their first points of the
season with a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg, Bayern earned their win at Schalke without
midfielders Javi Martinez, Mario Goetze and Thiago Alcantara.
Centre-back Jerome Boateng, who was rock solid in Bayern’s back
four, said the defending champions will only get stronger over the coming
weeks.
“We’re improving from game to game and we improved again today,”
said Boateng, who enjoyed the win with half-brother Kevin-Prince Boateng in the
Schalke side.
“There were a few mistakes in our counter-attack game, but we
will improve on that.”
Despite making a bright start, Jens Keller’s Schalke undid their
good work as first Schweinsteiger, then striker Mario Mandzukic were left
unmarked in the area to head home.
Schweinsteiger, back in the starting side after straining ankle
ligaments last month, smashed home Arjen Robben’s corner on 21 minutes and, 60
seconds later, Mandzukic converted David Alaba’s cross.
France winger Franck Ribery and then replacement striker Claudio
Pizarro added late goals as Schalke’s four-match winning run came to an abrupt
halt.
Bayern have now gone 31 games without losing a Bundesliga match
and have recorded 26 league wins and five draws since losing 2-1 to Leverkusen
in October 2012.
