Mainz 1-2 FC Bayern
FC Bayern moved to within two points of the top of the table with a narrow win in Mainz thanks to a goal in each half.
Most of the 33,000 fans at the Opel Arena leapt to their feet when Jean-Paul Boetius equalised Leon Goretzka’s opener, but Thiago deservedly gave Bayern the points.
FC Bayern are used to being the top dog in the Bundesliga, but before a ball was kicked Niko Kovac’s team trailed BVB by four points. That has now reduced as Dortmund conceded a late equaliser at home to Hertha Berlin.
Despite a relatively unimpressive start to the season, the Bundesliga 2018 odds have held FC Bayern up as the overwhelming favourites to retain their title. That certainly won’t change any time soon.
But for Mainz head coach Sandro Schwarz, another defeat means a slide down the table.
Highlights of the game
All eyes were on Bayern to see if they could recapture their league-winning form away to a side well out of touch. The visitors did have the better of the opening exchanges but couldn’t break down the Mainz defence as David Alaba and Jerome Boateng both shot wide of the goal from distance.
Serge Gnabry had his effort charged down as did Leon Goretzka while Bayern continued to press. After an uncharacteristic barren spell, Robert Lewandowski spectacularly returned to form against Wolfsburg last week. But he, too, was denied by a determined Mainz defence. And as Bayern kept up the pressure, Lewandowski fed Alaba; the Austrian fired over again.
Finally, the visitors thought they had broken through when Gnabry passed to Thiago Alcantara, and the Spaniard shot low into the bottom corner just after the half-hour. However, the VAR overturned the referee’s decision and cancelled out the goal. But when Goretzka took a pass from Joshua Kimmich, he too fired low and true into the corner, this time with VAR approval! 0-1.
The Germany midfielder has shown great promise since his arrival in Munich, following a summer switch from Schalke, and this goal will give him even more confidence.
With Bundesliga 2018 news spreading around the ground that leaders Dortmund were being held 1-1 by Hertha, it seemed a Bayern win could keep them well in touch. Die Nullfunfer had barely been in the game in the first half, so it was Bayern’s to lose.
Hmm. So when Mainz drew level just three minutes into the second half, Kovac must have been wondering how his half-time talk had gone wrong so soon. But the home crowd didn’t mind one jot. They went simply wild as Daniel Brosinski put in a dangerous cross and Jean-Paul Boetius poked the ball home.
That goal breathed confidence into the hosts, and the game became more end-to-end, with FSV’s Levin Oztunali coming close with a long-range effort. But Bayern’s lead was restored on the hour when Lewandowski fed Thiago, and his goal wasn’t ruled out by VAR this time.
With 15 minutes to go, Bayern had a flurry of chances to put the game to bed: Lewandowski and Renato Sanches had shots blocked, while Mainz keeper Florian Muller kept out efforts from Javi Martinez and Niklas Sule.
Key statistics
The hosts started the game in 12th place and without a win since mid-September, and they have now taken just two points from the last six league games. One thing the two teams had in common was that they’ve both recently been thumped by Borussia Monchengladbach: Bayern 0-3 and Mainz by 4-0 only last week.
It was no surprise then that FSV Mainz were way out there as 12.50 underdogs with the pre-match SBOBET odds, with Bayern at 1.24 and the draw 5.40. But they were in the game from the first minute to the last with a determined and dogged defence.
It was one-way traffic in the first half as FC Bayern enjoyed 66 per cent possession and had 13 shots to Mainz’ two, though only two of those shots were on target.
That pattern continued in the second 45 with the shot count increasing to 23 to five, though Bayern worked Muller harder with five shots on target.
What’s next?
Next up for FSV Mainz is Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga, and that will be another tough test for Schwarz’ men. Bremen started the season in fine form, up in the top four.
Meanwhile, FC Bayern entertain Freiburg in the Bundesliga before returning to Champions League action with the visit of AEK Athens. The champions still aren’t firing on all cylinders, but they are clicking through the gears.
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