What's grown at Bayern - and is now making the difference

Beanies pulled over their heads, down jackets already slipped on, Joshua Kimmich high-fived his teammates at the final whistle. The faces of the Bayern players revealed the relief but also the exertion of this afternoon. Once more before the international break, the team gave it everything and got three points. Against opponents who once again asked plenty of questions of FCB.

Our FC Bayern triumphed 2-1 at 1. FSV Mainz 05, maintaining their lead in the Bundesliga standings. It wasn’t a victory in which everything happened effortlessly. The hosts defended valiantly, looked for the duels and kept battling until the end. The fact the men from Munich still left as deserved winners is down to, one, the goals from Kimmich and Lennart Karl, and two, how naturally this team now combines technical quality with intensive effort.

“I’d call it a hard-earned victory. For the neutral it certainly wasn’t a dazzling display, but still very confident,” assessed Kimmich.

Quality also about attitude

Anyone who wanted to understand why Bayern are still unbeaten in the Bundesliga after nine matchdays this season found answers in Mainz. The record champions circulated the ball with precision, moved with purpose and always searched for new passing channels. And if the ball was ever lost, the work to win it back began immediately from the front: with aggressive counter-pressing, short distances and great determination.

That was crucial, particularly against Mainz’s compact back five. The hosts made the spaces tight and tried to break up Bayern’s rhythm. “Mainz do the dirty things, they always go for the second balls, they’re committed in the tackles – that doesn’t make it easy. We stood up to that well,” commented Aleksandar Pavlović. He and his colleagues accepted the challenge, without losing their style of play.

The numbers back that up: 68.8 percent possession, 717 passes played, of which an impressive 90.9 percent reached a teammate. In addition, 26 attempts on goal and 46 touches in the opposition penalty area. Stats that underline Bayern’s dominance, but only tell part of the story.

“We’re pleased that we won. We’re a little disappointed to have conceded the goal at the end, but we know it’s always a tough game here at Mainz. We had to suffer at times, but we were well prepared and stood our ground well,” said assistant coach Aaron Danks, who again stood in for head coach Vincent Kompany, who is still recovering from illness.

Two goals, one provider

That the Bavarians were able to convert their superiority into goals is thanks to two special moments. Kimmich put FCB in front with a delightful long-range shot from around 18 metres in the 14th minute, before Karl made it 2-0 in the 57th. Both goals were set up by Harry Kane.

The Ballon d’Or winner once again demonstrated that he’s far more than a goalscorer for this team. With eight assists after nine matchdays, Kane has set a new record since detailed data collection began in 2004/05. At the same time, he’s already equalled his personal best for one Bundesliga season.

That said, the game also highlighted where Bayern can still improve. Despite 26 attempts, nine shots on target and five big chances, they didn’t manage to turn that dominance into a clearer scoreline. That meant Mainz remained in the game, even scored a potential equaliser – which was ruled out for offside – and did bring some renewed tension with a late goal. A reminder that even clear superiority in play is no guarantee for a comfortable win.

And another negative: captain Manuel Neuer was forced off, with Jonas Urbig replacing him between the posts.

Going into international break feeling good

When the players went over to their travelling fans after the final whistle, the relief was clear to see. The applause was deserved and the reward for passing a tough test before the forthcoming international break. After that, Bayern return to action against 1. FC Köln at the Allianz Arena (Matchplan).

“What’s grown over the last two, three years is very special. There’s great calmness at the club. You have the feeling that everything fits. We have to play successful football, that’s the basis. But we’ve seen in the last few weeks that we stick together,” summarised Kimmich.

What was Kimmich was describing was also discernible at the MEWA Arena on Saturday. And it’s a good foundation for the challenges that lie ahead following the international break.

The reaction to the game at Mainz: