Benjamin Pavard helped himself to a first-half double and Joao Cancelo scored his first Bayern Munich goal as the Bundesliga leaders beat Augsburg 5-3 in a thriller.
Mergim Berisha’s early goal sparked Bayern to life at the Allianz Arena, where they were out of sight at half-time.
Cancelo equalized before Pavard struck twice in his 150th competitive game for the club and Leroy Sane made it 4-1 at the break.
Berisha pulled one back from the penalty spot, but Alphonso Davies restored Bayern’s three-goal lead.
Irvin Cardona then struck in stoppage time for Augsburg, but Bayern had already done enough to move three points clear of Borussia Dortmund ahead of their rivals’ Revierderby against Schalke on Saturday.
Berisha stunned the champions by opening the scoring in the second minute, turning Cancelo too easily with one touch before firing over from the spot.
Cancelo made amends with a right-footed drive into the far corner of the net after turning Mads Pedersen inside out, and Pavard put Bayern ahead with a close-range volley four minutes later after being set up by Sadio Mane, making his first start since November. up with an overhead kick.
Pavard struck again with a spectacular finish, rising with his left foot and firing in with his right 10 minutes before the break.
Sane got on the scoresheet on the stroke of half-time by heading into an empty net after Mane’s cross had beaten Maximilian Bauer and goalkeeper Rafal Gikiewicz before curling into his path.
Berisha reduced the deficit from the spot after Matthijs de Ligt was credited for teeing up Cardona on the hour mark.
However, ruthless Bayern remained in command and Davies finished clinically at the back post after Cancelo picked him out with a brilliant cross.
Cardona took advantage of Bayern’s lax defending to convert Ruben Vargas’ cross late on, but the thrilling game was long over.
Bayern Munich player ratings (3-4-3)
GK: Sommer – 7.0
DF: Pavard – 9.1
DF: Upamecano – 7.4
DF: De Ligt – 6.9
LB: Davies – 8.6
RB: Cancelo – 9.0
AMD: Musiala – 7.6
MD: Kimmich – 8.2
LW: Mane – 7.9
FW: Gnabry – 6.5
RW: Sane – 9.2
