Bayern deliver reality check to Union Berlin and go top of Bundesliga

Bayern Munich struck three times in a punishing first half to ease past Union Berlin 3-0 on Sunday, confirming their status as title favourites and leaving the Berliners, after their first league loss of the year, three points behind.

Bayern successfully bounced back from last week’s loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach, delivering a supreme first-half performance that puts them in first place on 46 points, ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference. Union are third on 43. There was more good news for the Bavarian side with the forward Sadio Mané making his comeback, after more than three months out, as a second-half substitute following his injury in November.

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Bayern, who host Paris Saint-Germain on 8 March for their Champions League last-16 return leg, delivered punch after punch in a fierce start, giving their opponents no chance to challenge.

The champions were in complete control with about 70% possession early on and Thomas Müller, in his 650th game for Bayern in all competitions, failed to connect in front of goal after superb early work from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting in the fifth minute.

Choupo-Moting did it better in the 31st, looping his header from a Kingsley Coman cross over the goalkeeper Frederik Ronnow for the lead. Coman then turned scorer, rounding the keeper to slot in their second before Jamal Musiala turned in a Müller cutback in stoppage time to kill off the game after 45 minutes and celebrate his 20th birthday with his 11th league goal.

Union, who had won five of their six previous league games in 2023 to remain in the title race, remained on the back foot after the break and