Die Folgen: Bayern’s 2-1 win over Mainz (Bavarian Football Works)
Bayern Munich continued its impressive run of form with a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Mainz 05, collecting all three points in a match that required patience, quality, and a little bit of grit.
Despite facing a determined Mainz side willing to make life uncomfortable, Bayern found a way to get the job done and maintain their momentum at the top of the Bundesliga table. It was not necessarily a flawless performance, but winning away from home is rarely straightforward, and Bayern will be more than
happy to head into the international break with another three points in the bag.
Here are some quick hitters on the match:
- As always, let’s begin with a look at the starting XI:
- There were minimal surprises. Alphonso Davies was given a break, which is exactly the way the Bavarians should be handling him. Nathaniel Brown stepped in at left wing, while Lennart Karl played at the No. 10 spot. Aleksandar Pavlović returned to the lineup after being a late scratch earlier this week. Tim Bischof returned to the bench to accommodate that move.
- Konrad Laimer was playing in a really advanced role offensively, as it seems he and Olise have recaptured their chemistry on the right flank.
- In the 14th minute, Karl had a terrific look, but went the unselfish route in trying to feed Kane (who was open). Unfortunately, the extra pass ended in a turnover.
- Seconds later, a Mainz turnover led to the ball getting to Kane, who fed Kimmich for a thunderous blast from distance that gave the Bavarians a 1-0 lead. What a laser from Kimmich!
- In the 17th minute, Brown had a great look with a volley off a cross, but his attempt was hit right at Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner. Seconds later, Upamecano launched a header at Zentner, who was able to handle it. Poor Zentner had to feel like he was totally under duress.
- Mainz was really just playing a game of survival, but it did feel as if the Carnival Club might be able to take advantage of just how confident Bayern Munich was. You could argue that the Bavarians were overconfident at times with their passing and ideas.
- Kane fired a shot over the crossbar in the 36th minute. A minute later, Kane was sent in perfectly by Karl, but Zentner made a good run out to smother Kane’s chip with his chest.
- In the 40th minute, Nadiem Amiri’s free kick resulted in a bizarre sequence, which led to Mainz tying the match at 1-1. Amiri’s delivery glanced off the head of Tah, which led an airborne Neuer to not get a clean touch on the ball. It deflected to Jae-sung Lee, whose header knotted the match at 1-1—or at least that is what we thought. Neuer signaled for a substitution and started to grab his foot, and the Bayern Munich physios came out to check on him. Ultimately, Neuer had to leave the match, but Lee’s goal was ruled offside by VAR in a very debatable call. Jonas Urbig replaced Neuer.
- In the 57th minute, Bayern Munich finally put some breathing room between itself and Mainz. A nice chipped ball in from Laimer to Kane led to a shot from the Englishman, which was blocked, but bounced right back to him. Thinking quickly, Kane poked the ball over to Karl, who did not miss from close range to make it 2-0.
- Laimer is scorching hot right now, by the way.
- Davies smashed a shot off the post in the 85th minute.
- Mainz would pull one back when Phillip Tietz outjumped Jonathan Tah to score a goal in stoppage time. That would be as close as the 05ers would get on this day as Bayern Munich skipped town with a victory.
- Overall, Bayern Munich overcame some sloppiness to put away Mainz. It was not the kind of banner effort some fans had hoped for, but it was a tough, hard-fought victory. Right now, the Bavarians just need to keep accumulating points and retain their position atop the Bundesliga table.
If you missed our Initial Analysis, Recap, Match Awards, Observations, or Postgame Podcast, give them a look or a listen:
Arsenal high on Nusa (ESPN)
Arsenal is reportedly very high on RB Leipzig and Norway attacker Antonio Nusa:
RB Leipzig winger Antonio Nusa is being tracked by Arsenal ahead of the January transfer window, according to The Sun. Nusa, 21, has 16 goals and 18 assists from 85 games at Leipzig and could slot into the left wing slot left open at the Emirates by the exits of Gabriel Martinelli and Leandro Trossard, after Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior turned them down last summer. However, Leipzig don’t need to raise any funds as they let Yan Diomande move to Real Madrid for €125 million last window, so will look to keep the Norway international even if a bid of €60 million arrives.
Per some reports, Bayern Munich has an interest in Nusa, but it seems as though his price tag could start to drift into uncomfortable territory if it goes much higher than €60 million.
Bayern not in race for Doué (Sport Bild’s Christian Falk)
Contrary to some reports, Bayern Munich is not actively pursuing Paris Saint-Germain star attacker Désiré Doué:
❌It is NOT TRUE: Bayern Munich have joined Premier League clubs in holding interest in Désiré Doué. He’s a very exciting player, and Bayern tried to get him at Säbener Straße but it was too expensive at the time and he decided to go to Paris. It’s one of those transfers where you feel, if you couldn’t sign him as a young talent when everyone wanted him, you’re not going to sign him as a more seasoned professional.
He’s doing so well in Paris, and there’s just no chance of Bayern paying the price PSG would want (though they don’t want to sell him) for the attacker’s services. I’m very sorry, but it’s just too late to make this transfer for Bayern Munich. The silver lining, of course, is that Bayern caught on very early how good this player could be, so it’s clear that Bayern Munich’s instincts are very much on the money. However, they don’t have the money, like other clubs do, to stockpile players in this age range.
Bayern taking another look at Zubimendi? (Ekrem Konur)
Is Bayern Munich scoping out Arsenal defensive midfielder Martín Zubimendi? Per this report, the answer is yes:
🚨 #Arsenal Martín Zubimendi is open to leaving Arsenal in January, with several top European clubs made aware of his situation.
🌍 Real Madrid, Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Chelsea are all understood to be monitoring a potential opportunity.
⏳ The midfielder’s future is expected to become clearer as discussions progress ahead of the winter transfer window
There is virtually no chance that Bayern Munich would make a move for Zubimendi in January (and probably not in the summer either). There was a time when such a move made sense for the Bavarians, but not anymore.
PSG Likes El Mala, but Not Pur
PSG likes El Mala, but not pursuing him (Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg)
It does not look as if Paris Saint-Germain has any imminent plans to try and get FC Köln’s Said El Mala:
🚨❌ Paris Saint-Germain consider Said El Mala a very good player. They are monitoring him and following his development.
However, no move is planned for the winter window. PSG are not looking to sign another right-footed winger profile. They already have Désiré Doué and Mika Godts in the squad.
PSG are exploring other options. However, PSG are very happy with their current squad.
@SkySportDE
Barca toying with Bergvall move? (ESPN)
This seems like one of the more outlandish rumors out there, but FC Barcelona is — allegedly — interested in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall:
Barcelona are interested in Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Lucas Bergvall, according to Football Insider. Bergvall, 20, chose Spurs over Barcelona in 2024, but the Blaugrana are still monitoring him, though Spurs are in control of his future as his contract is not set to expire until the summer of 2031. The Sweden international has made four Premier League appearances this season and has also emerged on the radar of Napoli.
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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