Overview
- Vincent Kompany’s team closed the first half on 47 points with a 66:13 goal tally, eclipsing Pep Guardiola’s 2013/14 benchmark on goal difference.
- Serge Gnabry, Min-jae Kim and 17-year-old Lennart Karl scored after Linton Maina’s opener in a match halted for about ten minutes due to heavy pyrotechnics smoke.
- Bayern reach the midway point unbeaten with 15 wins and 2 draws and now hold an 11-point lead over Borussia Dortmund, days after routing Wolfsburg 8:1.
- Köln’s league winless run extended to eight games; next up is Mainz, with the FC still five points clear of a direct relegation place.
- Schalke finished the Hinrunde with 37 points and only 10 goals conceded under Miron Muslic, as ex-coach Peter Neururer backs them as top promotion favorites and TV pundit Felix Kroos forecasts a second-half dip.