Lennart Karl became Bayern Munich’s third-youngest goalscorer in Bundesliga history as the league leaders cruised to a commanding 3-0 victory over bottom-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.

Kick-off at Borussia-Park was delayed by 15 minutes after Bayern’s team bus was held up in traffic. But it was the hosts who nearly made the early breakthrough, with Luis Díaz flashing a right-footed effort just wide inside the opening minute.

Winless and rooted to the foot of the table, Gladbach faced an uphill battle that grew even steeper when Jens Castrop was sent off in the 18th minute for a reckless studs-up challenge on Díaz.

Forced to defend deep, the hosts focused on frustrating Bayern, and goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas produced two fine saves to deny Harry Kane and Tom Bischof before half-time. His efforts ensured Gladbach became the first team this season to prevent the Bavarians from scoring in the opening 45 minutes.

After the restart, Bayern turned up the pressure. Michael Olise was twice denied by Kevin Diks and Nicolas, while Kane saw a neat finish ruled out for offside. The breakthrough finally arrived when captain Joshua Kimmich guided a composed low strike into the corner after his initial shot was blocked.

With Gladbach’s resistance broken, substitute Raphaël Guerreiro doubled the lead soon after, calmly slotting past the advancing Nicolas following a neat assist from Olise.

The hosts squandered a rare lifeline when Kevin Stöger struck the post from the penalty spot after Bischof had fouled Diks. Bayern then capped off the win in style through teenager Lennart Karl, who curled a stunning long-range effort beyond Nicolas to score in back-to-back league matches.

The result keeps Vincent Kompany’s side perfect this season with 13 wins from 13 games, maintaining a five-point cushion at the top of the Bundesliga. Gladbach, meanwhile, remain four points from safety and still in search of their first victory.