MUNICH, GERMANY - AUGUST 29: Thomas Mueller (L-R), Arjen Robben and Arturo Vidal of FC Bayern Muenchen celebrate scoring the opening goal during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Muenchen and Bayer Leverkusen at Allianz Arena on August 29, 2015 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by L. Preiss/Getty Images for FC Bayern)
Thomas Müller's two goals helped fire Bayern Munich to the top of the league with a 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen.
Müller broke the deadlock on 26 minutes before scoring on 60 to put the game beyond doubt from the penalty spot. Arjen Robben dispatched from the spot 10 minutes later as Bayern Munich maintained its 100% record after wins over Hamburg and Hoffenheim this season.
The German champions had only lose once in 28 competitive home games against Bayer Leverkusen and with Jerome Boateng and Medhi Benatia missing, this match threatened to be a test for Josep Guardiola's men.
Third-choice centerback Dante was left on the bench amid speculation about his future. Instead, Guardiola opted to play David Alaba as the main central-defender with Juan Bernat and Philipp Lahm to either side of him. The mandate: defend through keeping possession of the ball.
Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, was coming off the back of securing a place in the UEFA Champions League in midweek against Lazio. A fine performance was rewarded with a 3-0 win on the night (3-1 on aggregate) as Roger Schmidt's side booked a date with Barcelona in the group stages of the tournament.
With Kevin Kampl returning to the club -- and reuniting with his former boss -- it has been a busy week for Leverkusen. The former Borussia Dortmund player didn't make the squad after signing a contract until 2020.
Leverkusen successfully kept Bayern Munich at bay for most of the opening exchanges with Thiago Alcantara's long-range shot, which flew over the bar, the first warning shot from the German champions.
This season, Brazilian Douglas Costa has been Bayern's most effective route to goal with three assists and a goal in his first two league games. Costa's brilliance is simple: his directness, his speed with-and-without the ball and his instinctive crossing really shakes up the team's normal passages of play.
And on 26 minutes, he set up his fourth goal of the campaign, his blistering pace beating Roberto Hillbert all ends up and he picked out Müller who slid in to score his 75th goal for Bayern Munich in 200 games.
Five minutes later, Costa, the 30 million euro signing from Shakhtar Donestk, was inches away from a goal of his own, his late run picked out in the box and his finish hit the corner of the crossbar and post.
Considering the intent of both sides to press man-to-man and force the opposition into losing possession, the number of fouls was hardly a surprise. However, referee Florian Meyer was improbably strict, showing four yellow cards before the first goal was scored.
Most of Leverkusen's front-four was utilized from a defensive purpose rather than impacting the game in the last-third. Hakan Calhanoglu's only notable impact was from a 30-yard free-kick in the 37th minute. The attacking-midfielder flighting his shot over the wall and against the crossbar as he looked for his 12th direct goal from a set-play in the Bundesliga.
But the 15-minute break went in the away side's favour. The introduction of Julian Brandt from the bench has been successful consistently for Schmidt despite the 19-year-old probably deserving of a starting berth.
Four minutes after the restart, Bayern's makeshift, ball-playing defenders were forced into action. A quick counterattack fell to Stefan Kißeling at the back-post, his shot first saved by Manuel Neuer and then his rebounded header cleared off the line by the ever-impressive Alaba. The Austrian has shown outstanding acuity to play in a variety of positions at the back and in midfield, his mastery of the ball at a high-tempo and willingness to play bold passes the archetypal requirements of modern players.
Just as modern, if not harder to describe, is German international Müller. The Bayern front man scored his second of the game on the hour mark when Bayern was awarded a soft penalty kick for Hillbert's push on Arturo Vidal inside the box. Müller beat penalty-king Bernd Leno, the German keeper saving eight of his last nine spot-kicks.
Meyer was in a generous mood and awarded Bayern a second kick on 70 minutes with Hillbert enduring a torrid afternoon at the Allianz Arena. Costa's pace was pivotal, his cross striking the hand of the fullback as he turned his body from the ball and Robben proceeded to strike the ball into the net and kill the contest.
Robbie Kruse, a second half substitute for Leverkusen, had the ball in the net within seconds of the restart, but he cushioned the ball with his hand in the build-up. It was a rare glimpse of goal for Leverkusen who looked off-the-pace, confirming early concerns this season following narrow wins over Hoffenheim and Hannover.
Borussia Dortmund play Hertha Berlin on Sunday and could knock Bayern Munich off the top as the Bundesliga goes into a short hiatus as a result of the international shutdown.
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