Kingsley Coman, Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry all scored on 4-1 winners at Cologne.
Bayern Munich returned to the top of the Bundesliga as they swept aside Cologne 4-1 on the back by scoring three goals in the opening 12 minutes.
RB Leipzig leapfrogged Bayern with a 3-0 victory over Werder Bremen on Saturday, but Hansi Flick’s side responded the next day by blowing their hosts early on.
Thomas Muller laid on goals for Kingsley Coman and Robert Lewandowski Before Serge Gnabry rifled at a third from a Joshua Kimmich corner.
Gnabry added a second after 24 minutes from that time, with Mark Uth pulling one back for Cologne, as Bayern went back over Leipzig, who trail the reigning champions by one point after 22 games.
Lewandowski Reached 40 goals for club and country this season in the third minute, collecting a Muller pass and hammering into the roof of the net to make it 12 goals in 14 games against Cologne.
The home side were being cut open at will if the latter found Coman, whose attempt deflected in off Rafael Czichos to make it 32, and Muller and Lewandowski were involved.
Bayern had a guide when the delivery of Kimmich was brought down by Gnabry into the far post and refused to let up and steered into the bottom-right corner of the net.
Only The woodwork prevented the giants’ lead from being greater in the interval as Gnabry being not able to balance himself hit the crossbar and as Timo Horn tipped the long-range effort against the post of Kimmich.
Cologne Might have found a way back had Jhon Cordoba not had two goals disallowed for offside inside the opening 10 minutes of the second half.
Bayern had eased off but scored a fourth before Cologne got a consolation in the 66th minute when Gnabry cut in off the left and curled his second, Uth onside to apply the finish to the cross of Florian Kainz.
Gnabry fired wide after a backheel from Muller, who missed out in the process, squandered a chance.
Bayern, Bundesliga champions, are not used to playing catch up but Leipzig triumph on Saturday added this fixture and some excess pressure.
Cologne were in good shape having won four home games in a row, yet Bayern start meant the result was a foregone conclusion after only a dozen minutes.
With another two assists, Muller reached 14 for the season, already equalling his personal best from the 2017-18 season.
The 30-year-old’s contract expires at the end of next season and his form shows Bayern would be wise to agree on new terms.
None of Noah Katterbach against Coman specifically struggled although cologne’s back four came out of the early exchanges with any credit.
Katterbach’s Injury inside the opening half an hour ended his rotten day and it did not help his replacement Kainz, who was arguably Cologne’s best player.
Bayern have the chance to move four points clear of Leipzig as they play on Friday when they host Paderborn. Cologne head to Hertha Berlin the next day.
