By the numbers: Bayern Munich’s sizzling start to 2022/23

Bayern Munich have enjoyed a rocket launch of a lift-off to the 2022/23 competitive season, and their nearest rivals — Borussia Dortmund (7th), RB Leipzig (11th), and Bayer 04 Leverkusen (17th) — are nowhere in sight on the Bundesliga table.

Since the Bavarians are about to endure their customary loss to Borussia Mönchengladbach this week*, we thought it’d be a good time to highlight the good while the goods are still good. Numbers courtesy of FCBayern.com — who have some nice additional nuggets in their article — and @iMiaSanMia, where directly linked.

Offense/defense records

How Bayern were going to replace Robert Lewandowski’s superhuman goal production after his departure to FC Barcelona was the topic on everyone’s minds heading into the season — but it’s been answered most emphatically, with a shrug. Everyone is getting in on the scoring in Bavaria, and if anything, it’s kicked up a notch. Counting the DFL-Supercup, it’s a whopping twenty goals in the first four games, a truly ludicrous average of five which was last matched by a Bundesliga team in 1977-78 (Duisburg).

Additionally, with one goal conceded in the league, it’s Bayern’s stingiest start since 2016/17.

Total football, and total domination. Bayern’s all out attack is so far not coming at the expense of vulnerability at the back. At least, not demonstrably — whether there are chinks in this armor will be something for opposing coaches to scrutinize over many a sleepless night.

Bundesliga scoring record

Fifteen goals in three league games is a Bundesliga record. Leroy Sané’s galloping breakaway in the 69th minute against VfL Bochum, which forced an own goal, tied a record set by VfB Stuttgart in 1984/85. When youth player Gabriel Vidović teed up Serge Gnabry seven minutes later for the 7-0, that record was shattered.

Bayern have also been putting their games away early — eleven of the fifteen coming in the first half, another outright record. That one had last been held by none other than Bochum, set a full twenty years ago.

A Sadio Special

If you’ve felt that Liverpool transfer and pure ray of sunshine Sadio Mané has “only” scored three league goals so far, it’s only “only” in view of the unreal productivity that’s been around him — and which he has helped facilitate with his clever movement and hard work.

The last time a Bayern newcomer matched this output in their first three games? Not Robert Lewandowski, but Mario Mandžukić in 2012/13.

Rollickin’ road trips

Bayern are happy to do their demolition work in any stadium, knowing at the least they’ll have their teammates and support staff as fans. In fact, it’s the 2-0 home win against VfL Wolfsburg that stands the outlier, amidst 6-1 and 7-0 blowouts of Eintracht Frankfurt and Bochum.

Somehow, this isn’t the first time a Bundesliga team has dropped six away goals on an opponent in consecutive games, but the last team to do it were Werder Bremen (2006).

Additionally, there’s this:

GD — that goal differential

Counting only league games, Bayern are sitting +14 — an incredible +11 more than second-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach, and also a Bundesliga record. Of course, Gladbach are coming to Munich this week to put that to the test.

By comparison, the English Premier League and La Liga both have a GD difference of +1 between the top and second-best teams, while Serie A has +3. Paris Saint-German stomped Lille OSC — the last team other than PSG to win a Ligue 1 title — and are nearly matching Bayern with +10 over the next-best team in the French top flight.

There you have it. A sensational transfer window laying the ground to a start for the ages at Bayern Munich — with two of the four games so far coming against Champions League teams, no less! With the Champions League draw coming this week, we’ll soon find out what kind of opportunities Bayern will have this Fall to test out their credentials against the cream of the European crop.

*— ah, who are we kidding, it’s gonna be another curb-stomping! Optimism only! Wood-knocking is for second place, we are here to tempt fate.