Diaz hat-trick powers Bayern past Leipzig to reclaim Bundesliga lead
Baku, October 18, AZERTAC
Luis Diaz scored a hat-trick as Bayern Munich crushed RB Leipzig 6-1 on Saturday to return to the top of the Bundesliga and end a run of two consecutive draws, Xinhua reports.
Vincent Kompany's side dominated from the outset, overwhelming Leipzig with relentless pressing and attacking intensity after disappointing draws against Augsburg and Viking Stavanger.
Diaz opened the scoring in the 12th minute, racing onto Joshua Kimmich's pass before beating goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt.
Aleksandar Pavlovic doubled the advantage in the 26th minute after Diaz had created the opportunity, while Michael Olise added a third eight minutes later with a precise strike from 18 meters.
Leipzig struggled to contain Bayern's movement and repeatedly surrendered possession. Only several saves from Vandevoordt prevented the hosts from establishing an even greater halftime lead.
Bayern maintained its dominance after the restart. Diaz curled home his second goal in the 47th minute before Harry Kane converted Nathaniel Brown's delivery from close range six minutes later.
Kompany made four substitutions shortly after the hour mark, resting key players ahead of Wednesday's Champions League encounter at Arsenal.
Diaz completed his hat-trick in the 69th minute with a powerful long-range finish. Vandevoordt then tipped an Olise close-range effort onto the crossbar. Leipzig grabbed a late consolation through Maksimovic in stoppage time.
"Today we were a completely different team. We were far too passive without the ball and offered very little going forward. We have to congratulate Bayern. You can lose here, but not the way we did today," Leipzig coach Martin Demichelis said.
The victory sent Bayern back to the top of the Bundesliga with 14 points from six matches, ahead of Borussia Dortmund on goal difference. Leipzig slipped to seventh with nine points, while third-placed Freiburg remains one point behind with a game in hand.
Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund surrendered top spot after being held to a goalless draw at Union Berlin, while Mainz climbed to fifth with a 1-0 victory at Schalke. Elversberg edged Augsburg 4-3 to move into sixth, Hamburg defeated Stuttgart 1-0, and Werder Bremen fought back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Paderborn.
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