Michael Olise was on target in the absence of Harry Kane as Bayern Munich crushed Atalanta in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 clash.
England captain Kane was only fit enough to sit on the bench after recovering from a calf injury.
However, Bayern did not need to rely on their striker as they stormed to a thumping victory.
Olise sparkled, contributing to three of the Bundesliga winners’ opening goals as they grabbed a dominating lead in the 25th minute.
The Frenchman’s fast corner found an unmarked Serge Gnabry, who set up Josip Stanišić to finish from close range for the 12th-minute goal.
Olise added the second 10 minutes later with a curling effort, before sending Gnabry through to clip past the advancing Marco Carnesecchi in Atalanta’s goal.
Nicolas Jackson and Jamal Musiala also scored, sandwiched by Olise’s second, as Bayern led 6–0 by the 67th minute, until the hosts’ late Mario Pašalić response in Bergamo.
Victory extended their unbeaten streak away from home to nine games, putting them in command for the return match at Allianz Arena on March 18.
In their first European match, Bayern were quick off the mark, with Olise denied three times by Carnesecchi in the first ten minutes.
However, Stanisic converted after the hosts were caught sleeping during the set piece.
Olise then broke his eight-game drought in customary style, looping the ball into the far corner from the edge of the box following a charging run by central defender Dayot Upamecano.
Atalanta, the 2024 Europa League winners, were left with a mountain to climb three minutes later when the superb Olise grabbed the ball from the sky and passed it through for Gnabry to score.
Gnabry and Jackson, filling in for Kane for the second game in a row, came close to adding a fourth before halftime.
However, in the 52nd minute, the on-loan Chelsea attacker added his third Champions League goal of the season, firing a shot into the bottom corner following a sweeping counterattack and backheel assist from Luis Diaz.
Olise, a former Reading and Crystal Palace forward, blasted a second fantastic attempt past Carnesecchi in the 64th minute, and Musiala completed the sweep three minutes later, giving Bayern six Champions League goals for the first time since September 2023.
The home fans, who stayed boisterous throughout despite the scoreline, eventually had something to rejoice about in the third minute of extra time when Pasalic tapped in at the back post.
