In-form Bayern too strong for makeshift Mainz

Bayern warmed up in thumping style for next Tuesday’s DFB Cup Round of 16 trip to VfB Stuttgart with a supremely comfortable 5-0 victory over second division leaders Mainz, although the scoreline partially reflected the fact that the home side replaced almost all of their first-choice line-up in the course of the second half, allowing the champions to engage cruise control.

All five of the visitors’ goals nevertheless oozed class, as the 16,500 who turned up at the Bruchweg stadium in a benefit match to aid renovation of the 1,000 year old Mainz cathedral were treated to quality strikes from Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, and a Landon Donovan brace sandwiching a Bastian Schweinsteiger effort.

Miro on target

With the likes of Franck Ribery, Ze Roberto and Lucio nursing minor injuries, Jürgen Klinsmann’s starting line-up featured a slightly unfamiliar midfield, with Schweinsteiger and Hamit Altintop on the flanks, and Tim Borowski detailed to operate in the hole behind the – highly familiar – front two of Klose and Toni.

The match opened with a scare for the visitors when Burkina Faso international Aristide Bancé cannoned a shot off the post with barely two minutes played, but the champions were ahead a little over 60 seconds later with a goal admirably combining simplicity and class.