Bayern Munich stage remarkable comeback to beat Mainz after trailing by three goals at half-time
Bayern Munich overcame a 3-0 half-time deficit to defeat Mainz 4-3 in an instant Bundesliga classic, with substitutes Jamal Musiala, Michael Olise and Harry Kane all scoring in the dramatic comeback victory
Mainz 3-4 Bayern MunichGoals: 1-0 Kohr 15’ (assist: Sano), 2-0 Nebel 29’, 3-0 Becker 45’+2, 3-1 Jackson 53’ (assist: Laimer), 3-2 Olilse 73’ (assist: Laimer), 3-3 Musiala 80', 3-4 Kane 83'
With the Bundesliga title already secured, Bayern made eight changes to their starting lineup for the trip to Mainz, with only Konrad Laimer, Aleksandar Pavlović and Luis Díaz retaining their places from the DFB Cup semi-final win against Bayer Leverkusen.
Vincent Kompany's rotation policy saw young midfielder Bara Sapoko Ndiaye make his first Bundesliga start, while stars including Kane, Musiala and Manuel Neuer were named among the substitutes with Tuesday's UEFA Champions League semi-final against Paris Saint-Germain in mind.
Mainz, meanwhile, made just two changes from their draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach, with Silvan Widmer and Phillipp Mwene coming in for Anthony Caci and Nikolas Veratschnig.
Bayern dominated possession in the early stages but created little of note, with Raphaël Guerreiro's acrobatic effort sailing over the bar. Mainz grew into the game and took the lead on 15 minutes when Jonas Urbig's punch from a corner fell to Kaishu Sano, who crossed for Dominik Kohr to volley home.
The hosts doubled their advantage on 29 minutes following a swift counter-attack. Nadiem Amiri's low drive was well saved by Urbig, but Paul Nebel reacted quickest to bury the rebound.
Mainz goalkeeper Daniel Batz made several fine saves to deny Nicolas Jackson, before the hosts struck again in first-half stoppage time. Amiri's powerful shot hit the crossbar and Sheraldo Becker was on hand to tap in the rebound, giving Mainz a stunning 3-0 half-time lead.
Kompany responded by bringing on Kane and Olise for the second half, and the changes had an immediate impact. In the 53rd minute, Laimer crossed from the right for Jackson to volley home and reduce the deficit.
Bayern made two more substitutions shortly after, with Musiala and Josip Stanišić replacing Guerreiro and Alphonso Davies. The champions continued to push forward and in the 73rd minute, Olise cut inside from the right and curled a superb left-footed shot into the far corner to make it 3-2.
Just seven minutes later, the comeback was complete when Musiala tapped in from close range after good work by Olise. The turnaround was sealed in the 83rd minute when Kane pounced on a rebound after Batz had parried Musiala's cross, giving Bayern a remarkable 4-3 victory.
Player of the Match: Jamal Musiala
Musiala completely transformed the match after coming on as a substitute in the 57th minute. The 23-year-old midfielder injected energy and creativity into Bayern's attack, continuously troubling the Mainz defence with his close control and dribbling ability.
His equalising goal in the 80th minute was the culmination of his growing influence on the game, as he showed great awareness to position himself perfectly for a simple tap-in. His goal aside, Musiala also involved Kane's winner just three minutes later, highlighting his decisive impact in Bayern's remarkable comeback.
Bundesliga Match Facts
xGoals: Mainz 2.62 - Bayern 2.34
Fastest player: Konrad Laimer (Bayern), 35.47 km/h
Lowest goal probability: 3-2 by Michael Olise (Bayern), 1.3 percent
Most pressed player: Nicolas Jackson (Bayern), 20 times under pressure
Pass efficiency: Aleksandar Pavlović (Bayern), +3.86
Fantasy Heroes: Konrad Laimer (Bayern, 309 Points), Jonas Urbig (Bayern, 299 Points), Nicolas Jackson (Bayern, 285 Points)
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