Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson grabbed his first Bundesliga goal, Serge Gnabry opened the scoring and Bayern forced an own goal, all in a busy first half. "It was a really nice sign from the coach that he trusts us in a game like this and those who haven't played from the start come in and perform like that," Gnabry told Sky Germany.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany benched Kane for the first time in any competition this season, as well as forwards Michael Olise, Luis Diaz and defender Dayot Upamecano. The absences did not bother Bayern, who have begun the season in fearsome form. The victory was their 15th in 15 games, extending their own record for the best start to a season in the history of Europe's top-five leagues.
The defeat ended Leverkusen's unbeaten run away from home at 37 matches, a Bundesliga record. The victory restored Bayern's five-point leadership.