Bo Svensson’s impressive first full campaign in charge of Mainz 05 continued with a historic 3-1 victory over champions Bayern Munich, as they ended a run of five matches without a win in style.
While it may be Mainz who are renowned for their carnival spirit, it was Bundesliga champions Bayern who travelled to Rhineland-Palatinate in the party mood. Yet, despite their status as league winners, the visitors were caught cold in the opening stages, with Mainz storming to a 2-0 lead. Having rattled the woodwork just moments earlier, Jonathan Burkardt would eventually open the scoring with a composed finish, before Moussa Niakhaté ghosted in behind the Bayern backline to tap home a second.
Champions for a reason, Bayern rarely allow a game to pass them by without a challenge, with the visitors reducing the deficit before the break. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting let the ball run for Robert Lewandowski, who converted his 20th goal in 22 matches against Mainz. A lifeline for Bayern from their talisman, whose tally for the season now sits at 34 goals in 32 games.
After chipping away to get themselves back into the match, Julian Nagelsmann turned to his bench at the interval, with both Leroy Sané and Jamal Musiala brought on at HT. Hoping for a masterstroke, the changes would ultimately lead to little for Bayern, as Leandro Barreiro restored Mainz’s two-goal advantage 12 minutes after the break. The midfielder’s deflected strike looped over the head of a helpless Sven Ulreich, much to the delight of a sold-out MEWA Arena.
Out of sorts, Bayern’s afternoon in Mainz almost got even worse, with Karim Onisiwo rattling the crossbar from 25-yards out – a record-breaking third time the hosts had hit the woodwork in a single afternoon during the Bundesliga era. With the title already sealed, this result only dents Bayern’s pride, as Nagelsmann’s side look ahead to next weekend’s clash at the Allianz Arena, where the Munich-based outfit will be awarded their 10th consecutive Meisterschale.
