Brilliant Bayern breeze past Mainz

FC Bayern made it five straight home wins with an 8-1 thrashing of Mainz on Saturday. Harry Kane and Leon Goretzka scored for Bayern before Mainz's Nadiem Amiri pulled one back, but Kane found the net again just before half-time. Thomas Müller, Jamal Musiala and comeback kid Serge Gnabry all netted before Kane rounded off his hat-trick. Goretzka added the final flourish in injury time.

Bayern lined up with Manuel Neuer in goal and Joshua Kimmich, Matthijs de Ligt, Eric Dier and Alphonso Davies in defence. Konrad Laimer and Goretzka anchored a midfield featuring Leroy Sané, Müller and Musiala, with Kane up front. Davies had to be replaced with a knock early in the game, Raphaël Guerreiro taking over. Gnabry, Mathys Tel, Minjae Kim and Bryan Zaragoza came on for Sané, Müller, Dier and Musiala in the second half.

Lively first half

Bayern got off to a good start in a very entertaining first half, Mainz keeper Robin Zentner parrying against Sané before Müller and Kane saw efforts blocked. Munich took the lead when Müller found Musiala, who skillfully controlled the ball and invited Kane to tap in.

The Bavarians doubled the lead following a quickly taken free-kick. Kane's header came crashing off the post, but Goretzka was on hand to mop up. Kimmich fired an effort narrowly wide before Mainz pulled one back when Amiri crashed into the top corner of the net from 25 yards. Zentner only just clawed out a deflected Kimmich cross, Brajan Gruda firing over at the other end. Müller saw a header cleared off the line, but Goretzka's pinpoint pass soon found Kane, who fired past Zentner on the stroke of half-time.

Rampant second half

Bayern made it four straight after the interval, Musiala squaring for Müller to turn home. Gruda fired wide from the edge of the box and Edimilson Fernandes saw an effort deflected behind, but Kane soon released Musiala with a crossfield ball, the 21-year-old sidestepping one defender before firing past Zentner.

Kane had a further shot saved, but Goretzka set up Gnabry, whose stunning back heel found the net through the goalkeeper's legs. Zentner parried a Dier header for a corner, which allowed Kane to nod in. The goal was initially ruled out for offside but stood after VAR intervention as the England captain completed his hat-trick. Kane missed two further chances, but the champions did get an eighth when Kimmich's fine cross invited the unmarked Goretzka to nod home in added time.

The result takes Bayern onto 57 points from 25 matches, seven short of Leverkusen, who take on Wolfsburg on Sunday. The Bavarians will be back in action next Saturday when they travel to face Darmstadt.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen