Bayern Munich fought back from a three-goal halftime deficit to defeat Mainz 05 4-3 on Saturday, with Harry Kane scoring the winner after coming off the bench.
The comeback, sealed by Kane’s goal in the 83rd minute, marked only the second time in Bundesliga history that Bayern has overturned a three-goal halftime deficit to win, the first being a 6-5 victory over Bochum in 1976.
Mainz took a 3-0 lead through goals from Dominik Kohr, Paul Nebel, and Sheraldo Becker, capitalizing on a heavily rotated Bayern side that made eight changes from its German Cup semi-final lineup three days prior.
Bayern had no shots on target until halftime, prompting head coach Vincent Kompany to introduce Kane and Michael Olise at the break, replacing Luis Díaz and Aleksandar Pavlović.
Nicolas Jackson pulled one back in the 53rd minute, and Olise struck inside the far post in the 73rd to craft it 2-3.
Jamal Musiala equalised in the 81st minute before Kane pounced on a rebound after Daniel Batz saved Musiala’s effort to complete the turnaround.
The win extended Bayern’s winning streak to nine matches across all competitions and took Kane’s Bundesliga goal tally to 33 for the season.
Leon Goretzka described the halftime intervention as a “real dressing down” but said the team responded by focusing on its core strengths.
“We got a real dressing down at halftime, but then we focused on what makes us strong,” Goretzka said. “I think you can experience setbacks in life, and you can fall behind in a football match. But it always comes down to how you react. Fortunately, we were able to prove again today that we have a very special team.”
The result served as a morale boost ahead of Bayern’s Champions League semi-final first leg against Paris Saint-Germain on Tuesday.
PSG arrived at the match having extended their Ligue 1 lead to six points with a 3-0 win over Angers, though they finished with ten men after Gonçalo Ramos was sent off.
In other European action, Barcelona moved to 85 points in La Liga with a 2-0 win at Getafe, extending their lead over Real Madrid to 11 points with five games remaining.
What does this win mean for Bayern’s Champions League preparations?
The victory provides a confidence boost before facing PSG, though it came against a Mainz side fighting to avoid relegation and with Bayern fielding a rotated squad.
How significant is Kane’s contribution to the comeback?
Kane scored the winning goal and now has 33 Bundesliga goals this season, playing a pivotal role off the bench in reversing the deficit.
Why did Bayern struggle in the first half?
Bayern made eight changes from its midweek German Cup lineup, fielding a heavily rotated side that failed to register a shot on target before halftime.
Has Bayern ever arrive back from three goals down at halftime in the Bundesliga before?
Yes, the only previous instance was a 6-5 win over Bochum in 1976, making this the second such comeback in the club’s history.