Bayern Munich on Sunday set a European scoring record as it defeated Cologne 3-2 for its first Bundesliga win under new coach Julian Nagelsmann.

It can be seen that Robert Lewandowski scored one and Serge Gnabry scored twice to ensure Bayern became the only team among Europe’s top five leagues to have scored in 74 consecutive games in all competitions. The run began after a 0-0 draw with Leipzig in February 2020, when Nagelsmann was in charge of Leipzig.

Earlier, Bayern, which is going for a record-extending 10th consecutive Bundesliga title, was held 1-1 by Borussia Monchengladbach in the league’s opening game.

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However, the champions on the defending side received no gifts from new coach Steffen Baumgart’s hardworking Cologne team.

“The result is good. The game was much too wild,” Nagelsmann said. “It was like a preparation game for both teams, very open, very wild, with lots of room. It was similar to the Gladbach game for long periods,” he added. 

After pulling off a Zidane-style turn to get past a defender, Thomas Muller missed a goal in the eighth minute and Niklas Sule forced a good save from Timo Horn in the Cologne goal.

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Nagelsmann reacted at the break by bringing on Jamal Musiala and Josip Stanisic for the ineffective Leroy Sane and Tanguy Nianzou.

The changes had an immediate effect with Musiala missing a chance before doing brilliantly to set up Lewandowski for the opener in the 50th minute.

However, Gnabry was clearly in no mood to settle for a point. The Germany forward shot his second goal inside the top corner from the right in the 71st.

“Bayern won in the end through individual action,” said Baumgart, who complained his team had shown “too much respect for Bayern.”

Earlier, there were tributes for Gerd Muller, the former Bayern and West Germany great who was known as “Der Bomber” for his scoring prowess. Muller’s record 365 Bundesliga goals helped lay the foundations for Bayern’s success. At the age of 75, Muller died last Sunday.