Bayern held at home by Mainz

FC Bayern were held to a 2-2 draw by Mainz in the Bundesliga on Sunday. Lennart Karl handed Bayern a deserved lead, but Kacper Potulski levelled the scores on the stroke of half-time. Jae-Sung Lee put Mainz ahead midway through the second half before Harry Kane scored from the penalty spot late on to take a draw. Munich still extended their lead in the Bundesliga after RB Leipzig’s defeat at Union Berlin.

Munich started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Josip Stanišić, Minjae Kim, Hiroki Ito and Tom Bischof in defence. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka anchored a midfield featuring Michael Olise, Karl and Serge Gnabry, with Kane up front. Alphonso Davies, Konrad Laimer, Aleksandar Pavlović and Nicolas Jackson took over from Ito, Bischof, Goretzka and Kim in the second half.

Dominant but level

Bayern were dominant from the off, with Karl testing goalkeeper Daniel Batz. A through ball also found Stanišić, only for his first touch to let him down. A fortuitous Lee header crashed off the bar at the other end and Batz made a fine save against Kane.

Batz also denied Gnabry and Olise, but Bayern took a deserved lead when Gnabry’s cutback invited Karl to tap in. Kane’s sideways scissor-kick was blocked before Mainz levelled the scores out of the blue shortly before half-time, William Bøving’s free-kick finding the unmarked Potulski, who headed in.

Kane levels from the spot

Gnabry fired over and soon miscued a volley from Karl’s pinpoint cross before seeing a shot saved, with Kane’s follow-up blocked. The visitors took the lead against the run of play when Stefan Bell’s ball over the top found Lee, who beat Neuer with a diving header.

Potulski intercepted Gnabry’s square for Kane and Jackson fired wide as Bayern upped the ante. Kane had a header saved before being upended by Potulski in the box. The Englishman stepped up himself to dispatch the ensuing penalty. Munich kept probing, but another goal refused to come as Bayern and Mainz shared the spoils.

The result means Bayern top the table on 38 points from 14 matches, nine clear of Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. The Bavarians will be back in action next Sunday when they travel to face Heidenheim in the last match of the year.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen