Bayern Munich complete stunning comeback to defeat Mainz 4-3
Bayern Munich produced a remarkable second-half recovery to come from three goals down and beat Mainz 4-3 in the Bundesliga on Saturday. Despite having already secured the league title and with a Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain looming, Bayern scored four times after the break to extend their winning run to nine matches.
The victory, secured by Harry Kane's 83rd-minute winner, dealt a significant blow to Mainz's survival hopes. According to Sky Sports Germany, a win would have guaranteed Mainz's safety, but the defeat leaves them needing points from their final match against FC St. Pauli. Bayern manager Vincent Kompany made several rotations to his starting lineup, including handing 18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye his first start, a decision that contributed to a disjointed first-half performance.
Mainz took full advantage of Bayern's lethargy, with Dominik Kohr opening the scoring in the 15th minute. Further goals from Paul Nebel and Sheraldo Becker, the latter just before half-time, gave the hosts a commanding 3-0 lead at the interval. Statistics from Opta noted it was the first time since 2008 that Bayern had trailed by three goals at half-time in a Bundesliga match. Kompany responded by introducing Kane and Michael Olise at the start of the second half, a move that dramatically altered the game's momentum.
Nicolas Jackson began the comeback in the 53rd minute before Olise scored a superb individual effort to make it 3-2 with 17 minutes remaining. Jamal Musiala equalised in the 80th minute, and Kane completed the turnaround three minutes later after capitalising on a mistake from Mainz goalkeeper Daniel Batz. Speaking to Sportschau after the match, Kane said the team believed they could achieve the comeback after scoring their first goal.
The result serves as a positive preparation for Bayern ahead of their crucial Champions League semi-final first leg in Paris on Tuesday, a match for which Kompany will be suspended due to a yellow card accumulation. For Mainz, the collapse represents a missed opportunity to secure their top-flight status, with their fate now dependent on the final day of the season.
