25th matchday
Bayern’s goal party delights injured Tuchel
Bayern’s Harry Kane (l) scored three goals in the win against Mainz. photo
© Sven Hoppe/dpa
In Bayern’s biggest win since October, Harry Kane shone as a triple goalscorer and provider. A comeback professional score is also worth seeing. Two players have to go out with head injuries.
Apart from Kane (13th/45th+7/70th minute), Leon Goretzka (19th/90th+2), Thomas Müller (47th), Jamal Musiala (61st) and Serge Gnabry (66th) left Bayern -Fans cheer a lot. The remarkable free kick goal to make it 1:2 by Mainz’s Nadiem Amiri (31′) was almost lost in the flood of goals.
Tuchel couldn’t jump for joy with his broken big toe on his right foot “well wrapped and tightly packed”. The limping coach, who did without the fracture shoe from the previous day, enjoyed Kane’s next goal show even without jumping in celebration. Kane scored with his right, his left and his head.
The 100 million purchase from the summer now stands at 30 Bundesliga goals. Former Bayern star Robert Lewandowski’s 41-goal record is shaky this season. The English international became the first player in Bundesliga history to score eight multiples in his first season.
In a sometimes wild duel between the second-placed team, who at least for one night reduced the gap to leaders Leverkusen to seven points, and the second-to-last team, the Munich team uncharacteristically took the lead through a counterattack. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made the game quick. The ball came to Kane via Müller and Musiala, who was already sniffing the goal himself, and he effortlessly converted it.
Even at 2-0 it happened too quickly for Mainz. Joshua Kimmich, who was also called up as right-back in the absence of the suspended Aleksandar Pavlovic, took a free kick quickly. Goretzka dusted Kane’s header onto the post with his first goal since the first leg win in Mainz.
Mainz Amiri responded with a wonderful free kick into the corner against a completely unsuccessful Bayern wall. But in the seven minutes of stoppage time in the first half, which was so extensive due to Alphonso Davies (Bayern/18th) and Josuha Guilavogui (Mainz/35th) suffering head injuries and being substituted early, Kane scored again after Goretzka’s preparatory work.
Guilavogui’s injury in particular caused a moment of shock. The Frenchman remained motionless on the ground after the collision with teammate Anthony Caci. Referee Patrick Ittrich was quickly on hand to help, as were several Mainz professionals. Mainz sports director Martin Schmidt spoke of a “concussion” and a “great fright”. Davies was hit in the face with his foot early on by 05 captain Silvan Widmer in an aerial duel.
After Müller made it 4-1 at the start of the second half on a pass from Musiala, the game was decided. Musiala made it 5-1 after Kane’s preparatory work. On his Bundesliga comeback after three months, Gnabry acrobatically raised the ball with a heel. Kane was allowed to go again – this time with his head. Like Goretzka shortly before the end. It was the biggest win since the end of October and the 8-0 win against SV Darmstadt 98.