Bayern Munich commenced their Bundesliga campaign on an excellent note with a 5nil victory over Hamburg at the Allianz Arena. The Bavarian Giants got the victory courtesy of goals from Medhi Benatia and Robert Lewandowski added to a Thomas Muller brace and a Douglas Costa effort.

Hamburg, who avoided relegation via a play-off for the second season in a row in May, were in a different league to Pep Guardiola’s men and will be glad to return to North Germany having at least improved on their previous two games at the Allianz Arena.

Having been beaten 9-2 and 8-0 on their previous two visits to Munich, Hamburg were always going to be cautious on their latest trip, and Lewis Holtby’s first shot of the game in the fourth minute did not alter that.

In the end it was a set-piece which saw Bayern take the lead, Benatia diverting Xabi Alonso’s free-kick past Rene Adler with his right shoulder in the 27th minute. Lewandoski doubled their lead in the second half after Hamburg failed to convert a chance.  The Pole was in the right place at the right time to tuck the ball into the bottom corner, with the aid of a deflection, after Matthias Ostrzolek’s headed clearance fell kindly for him.

The same could be said of Muller for Bayern’s third, but his close-range header would not have been possible had it not been for the pace of Costa to keep the ball in down the right wing, and then deliver it perfectly with the outside of his left boot.

Muller added Bayern’s fourth shortly after, taking Lewandowski’s pass beyond Adler before cutting it back inside the near post, and it was starting to look like another night in Munich to forget in a rush for Hamburg.

Adler prevented worse by tipping David Alaba’s effort over, but even his full-stretch dive could not reach Costa’s curling effort in the closing stages as Bayern signalled their intent for the season in style on the Bundesliga’s opening night.