Bayern Munich are in commanding form heading into the international break, after a ruthless 7-0 dismantling of Union Berlin at the Allianz Arena pushed them to second in the Bundesliga table, two points behind Borussia Dortmund. The result was built on an extraordinary individual performance from Michael Olise, who scored a hat-trick and added two assists to collect his fourth man-of-the-match award in just seven games this season. Harry Kane was equally impressive, netting twice to become the fastest player in history to reach 100 Bundesliga goals, reaching the milestone in only 98 appearances.

The win has intensified the Ballon d'Or conversation around Bayern's stars. Sporting director Max Eberl publicly backed both Kane and Olise as legitimate contenders, delivering a pointed response to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, who had suggested the award should not go to a prolific scorer. "The best players are those who don't need to campaign," Eberl said. Kane, characteristically measured, let his football do the talking.

Offscreen, Luis Diaz has been given a break from international duty by Colombia as he works through a difficult patch in front of goal, having missed six big chances in the Bundesliga alone. Bayern also face a transfer battle for Manchester United teenager JJ Gabriel, with Barcelona and Real Madrid reported to be ahead in the race. Next up for Bayern is a trip to Augsburg on October 10.