Harry Kane was in the mood to celebrate. "This," he had assured, "should be a fun weekend." But the record goalscorer was far from the only one for whom Bayern Munich's traditional trip to the Wiesn came at just the right time. Sunday afternoon had already given them plenty to enjoy before the international break began. The 7-0 thrashing of Union Berlin gave them more than enough reason.
Bayern may sit second behind Borussia Dortmund for now, but they can put that right in the meeting on 31 October at the latest. "We are totally relaxed," club chief Jan-Christian Dreesen said during the Oktoberfest visit. "We are completely relaxed about that. We are chasing Dortmund and we will go after them." After a 7-0 win, club patron Uli Hoeneß added that, for the time being, "everything is good".
Kane was not the only one ready to celebrate. The striker smashed through the 100-goal mark in record time with two goals in his 98th Bundesliga match and now has 101 strikes. Jamal Musiala was in excellent spirits too after getting the "opening tap" (18) against the Köpenick side. "I feel very good," he assured, visibly delighted after his first 90-minute appearance since March, before adding: "I’m looking forward to what is to come." First up was his trip to the Germany team in Herzogenaurach on Sunday evening.
What was Michael Olise wearing at Oktoberfest?
Michael Olise drove the show again before the international break, even if he still seems reluctant to celebrate, at least in public. He claimed his first hat-trick for Bayern Munich, though even that barely captured how brilliantly he performed once more. "He is a super player," Musiala said. Kane agreed: "he is an impressive player", but not only that. "He is such a good character."
Olise being Olise, he also cut a rather curious figure at Oktoberfest. He wore the obligatory Bavarian traditional costume in the Bayern Munich edition, but matched it with a Smurf-blue hat featuring a purple cross. He had also let his hair fall into his face, so very little of it could be seen.
At Bayern Munich, they take Olise as he is. Even coach Vincent Kompany, not usually prone to bursts of exuberance, could not hold back his praise for the supposedly emotionless Frenchman. It is the "overall package", he said, that impresses him so much about Olise. "Not only the footballer" excites him, "but also what he is like as a person." On the pitch, Kompany added, "he sticks to his line, he has been playing at this level for almost two and a half years now." And that level, Musiala stressed, "is outstanding".
IMAGOWhy Vincent Kompany likes the Wiesn
Max Eberl was in the best of moods too, not least with new signing Ismael Saibari scoring his first goal for Munich after coming on as a left winger, and Serge Gnabry making his comeback in time for the internationals. "I don’t think it could have gone any better," said the board member for sport. "We wanted to go into the international break with an impressive result. We have achieved that."
Kompany, usually so measured, could hardly hide how much the Wiesn suits him either, above all because he can properly enjoy it this time thanks to the international break. "I want to go there," he said, "because it is a good time with family and friends. I just want to do something normal for once." The period ahead, initially rather light on work, will give him "extra energy": "And then the full focus comes on the next phase."
The aim, after all, is to win a treble.