Bayern Munich is back on top of the Bundesliga, for a day at least, after sweeping aside Mainz 6-2 with six different scorers to continue a run of big wins.
Sadio Mané bagged one goal and set up two more as Bayern cruised to its sixth straight win in all competitions, with an impressive 25 goals scored in those games.
Bayern needed just five minutes to take the lead as Mané set up Serge Gnabry for the opening goal. Jamal Musiala added a second and Mané earned, then scored, a penalty just before the break.
Mainz had chances to get back into the game, with Jonathan Burkardt hitting the crossbar and seeing his poorly hit penalty tipped over the bar. Silvan Widmer headed in from the resulting corner to make it 3-1, but Mainz’s comeback stopped there.
A precise cross from Mané allowed Leon Goretzka to head in for Bayern in the 58th and 17-year-old French striker Mathys Tel added Bayern’s fifth off the bench with a deflected shot in the 80th.
Backup goalkeeper Sven Ulreich — deputizing while Manuel Neuer’s recovery from a shoulder injury drags on — gave away the ball under little pressure soon after, allowing Marcus Ingvartsen to score a consolation goal for Mainz.
The four-goal lead was restored when Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, the veteran forward who has given Bayern much-needed structure in attack recently, scored in the 86th for his sixth goal in five games, after earlier assisting on Musiala’s goal.
Bayern went to the top by two points from surprise early season leader Union Berlin, which can retake first place if it beats Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday.
Bayern’s focus switches to Inter Milan on Tuesday as the German champion aims to complete a perfect record of six wins from six in the Champions League group stage.
AFP
