Vincent Kompany’s squad rotation against Mainz 05 did not work as planned. The home side capitalized on Bayern’s sloppiness and took a 3-0 lead before half-time. The second half saw the Bavarians turn the game on its head with unmatchable intensity. Harry Kane got himself on the scoresheet once again as he played a critical role in the comeback that ended 4-3 in favor of Bayern.
Costly errors
Vincent Kompany has been mostly spot on with his rotations in his second season at Bayern. This game was an exception, as the
team looked stretched every time Mainz broke free. The structure from the midfield to the backline was shaky and could not compensate for losses in possession nor contain the runs from the Mainz attackers.
“The first half was difficult. We fell below our usual standard in terms of our approach to every game. We didn’t control their counter-attacks well enough, our defensive work wasn’t good enough. We were a bit sloppy with the ball. And you have to give Mainz credit: they punished us in many situations,” said Harry Kane ( as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Minds of steel
Down by three goals, title in the bad and a UCL semi-final waiting mid-week, this game could have been let go by Bayern. However, the team refused to let up no matter the circumstances and went out to win the game in the second half. And, they played like a team possessed.
What followed was a crushing pressure from the visitors that opened cracks in the stubborn Mainz defense. Bayern punched back with unstoppable force. The attackers showed incredible quality and finished off their chances. Kompany’s men only had a 1.72 xG in the second half, but punished Mainz with four goals.
“We said at halftime that we needed to bring more energy and more intensity. And I think you could see that from the first minute of the second half. Of course, you also have to show quality. And I think we did that with the goals we scored. But credit to everyone. To come back from 3-0 down at halftime shows the mentality we have,” added Kane, underscoring the importance of a strong mindset in the locker room.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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