Bayern Munich got back to winning ways in the Bundesliga by clinching a narrow 2-1 win against Mainz on Saturday.
Mainz 05 made a fairly promising start to the season, but things have taken a turn for the worse for Urs Fischer's side. Their last three matches, including their DFB-Pokal encounter against Bochum, have all ended in defeat.
Mainz currently sit tenth in the Bundesliga table. However, they have more reason to look over their shoulders towards the relegation zone than to dream of breaking into the top half of the table. Nevertheless, their recent head-to-head record against Bayern Munich offered some encouragement ahead of the meeting at the MEWA Arena.
The last time Die 05er managed to beat Bayern was almost two years ago. Jae-Sung Lee secured a memorable victory on December 14, 2024. In fact, no other team has managed to defeat Bayern as frequently as Mainz over the past six years. And there could have been even more victories along the way.
Powerful strike from Kimmich passes Zentner
However, Mainz's first-half performance was hardly worthy of their reputation as Bayern's bogey team. In fact, Bayern's first major opportunity of the afternoon immediately resulted in a goal. Following a mistake in Mainz's build-up play, Harry Kane picked up possession and played the ball into the path of Joshua Kimmich. The Bayern midfielder unleashed a powerful strike that flew past goalkeeper Robin Zentner.
The first half followed a familiar pattern: Bayern continued to push forward, creating several promising opportunities on the counter-attack and from set pieces. Mainz occasionally looked capable of launching dangerous attacks themselves, but their efforts repeatedly came to nothing, partly thanks to Manuel Neuer, who was also impressive with the ball at his feet.
Bayern's biggest chance of the first half came around nine minutes before the interval. Harry Kane was brilliantly played through by Karl, but the Ballon d'Or winner saw his cleverly executed chip saved by Zentner. Once again, the Englishman failed to find the net. He is still waiting for his first goal since receiving football's most prestigious individual award.
Neuer leaves the field with an injury, VAR cancles the goal of Lee
In the closing stages of the first half, Mainz finally appeared to be mounting a comeback. Jae-Sung Lee headed home from a free-kick, but Manuel Neuer was badly caught out. The Bayern goalkeeper landed awkwardly following his mistake and was forced to leave the pitch, with Jonas Urbig coming on in his place.
Just as Urbig entered the field, VAR intervened to deliver another twist: Lee's goal was ruled out for offside.
Kane continues his search for goal as Bayern see out narrow victory
In the second half, Harry Kane once again found himself desperately searching for a goal. The England international came close on several occasions, but Mainz's defence and goalkeeper Robin Zentner stood firm to deny him.
Bayern's deserved second goal also had Kane at its heart. The Englishman showed excellent awareness and picked out the much-talked-about Lennart Karl, playing the ball perfectly into the young midfielder's feet.
For the remainder of the match, Bayern largely controlled proceedings, while Mainz desperately searched for a way back into the game. However, it was the visitors who came closest to adding a third goal, with Kane and Dayot Upamecano both going close.
In the extra time, Phillip Tiez managed to score the 1-2 for Mainz. His header was well-thought-out and passed Urbig. It was too late for Mainz.
Ultimately, Bayern's 2-1 victory proved to be a professional and relatively comfortable result. There was, however, one unwelcome downside: Manuel Neuer looks set for a spell on the sidelines following his injury.
Add us as a preferred source on Google