Featured Game – Mainz 2-1 Bayern München

As per usual, the undoubted top team this season has been Bayern München. They are top of the league where they so often find themselves in the latter stages of any Bundesliga campaign and they have shown a consistency unrivalled by any other side. Therefore, it was only inevitable that this day would come, where Bayern were able to officially seal the German top-flight championship and be crowned the best team in Germany for a ninth season in a row. Their task was straightforward as well – simply getting all three points away in Mainz would see them win the league, regardless of the fact that closest challengers Leipzig were to play the following day. Of course there were games left after this one, and any slip-up from the Red Bulls would also hand the title to Bayern, however the Rekordmeister wanted to clinch their next Meisterschale as soon as possible.

They received a boost in the week prior to the game just for added assistance, as Robert Lewandowski was cleared to start up front for the first time after suffering a knee injury on international duty with Poland last month. He had missed both legs of their Champions League quarter-final defeat and therefore was likely raring to get back into action and ensure that the season would end in the customary success for the Bavarians. However, he and Bayern would have to deal with a much-improved Mainz team compared to the one earlier in the campaign. Arguably, Bo Svensson’s side have the best form of any Bundesliga outfit at the moment and their simple need for points is undeniably what has provoked the impressive upturn. On the other hand, the Swedish coach’s tendency to rotate players, especially in attack has enabled a larger pool of options to stay sharp and thus more likely to perform when called upon by the manager. This strategy was demonstrated again with Mainz’s selected eleven to start against the champions for this one, with Burkardt, Onisiwo and Quaison all spear-heading a promising front line. This is despite Hungarian striker Adam Szalai starting and scoring in last week’s win over Werder Bremen, but the switch to a pacier system opted for by Svensson on this occasion meant that the more suited forwards were chosen. The reasons were fairly obvious too, as Bayern’s defence has often been susceptible to fast attacks in behind, especially in the first half of games and the hosts exploited this Achilles heel to a tee.

Inside just three minutes, it was the youngest of the changes up front that provided an invaluable opener. Jonathan Burkardt is only 20 years of age, but certainly repaid his manager’s faith in him with a well-taken goal right at the start of proceedings. He did get a bit of luck which ultimately proved telling; however, a smart swivel and crisp strike saw his effort head towards goal and Manuel Neuer was unable to prevent it from hitting the back of the net. The shot was not in the corner, so the German stopper would almost certainly have been kicking himself about letting that one in at half time, but Burkardt would not have cared one bit as he claimed his second ever goal for Mainz. More importantly though, it set up the rest of the game perfectly for the neutrals and the early advantage only sparked more confidence for Mainz who had begun the contest looking like they were the side top of the standings, rather than their opponents. No let-up was to come either for Bayern and the home team pressed on.

Mainz played precisely and quickly while still incorporating elements of play often associated with teams lower down the table like threats from set-pieces and the visitors were struggling to cope. In fact, it was a combination of this that spelled even more trouble for Bayern, as Robin Quaison nipped in just ahead of defender Jerome Boateng to get the ball on the left-wing. The Swede was brought down for a free-kick by Boateng and the centre-half also went into the book, meaning that he would be on a tightrope for the remaining 55 minutes of the match but more pressing issues were to arrive shortly. As Quaison picked himself up and wandered over to the penalty area, Philipp Mwene prepared to swing in the wide delivery from the dead ball situation. His cross was a good one and it was the attacker Quaison who rose highest to power a header beyond Neuer who had no chance between the sticks. Bayern looked stunned, however it was hard to say that it was not coming for Mainz who had played admirably up to this point and exemplified the fact that not just sitting back and defending against Bayern will bring rewards, as those who have tried it have found out.

More teams than is comfortable for the hierarchy at the Bavaria club have had leads at the break after surprising München from the off, but the pure firepower that Bayern possess often sees them produce a response good enough in the second half to at least get a draw from the game. Notably, in the reverse fixture between the sides back at the Allianz Arena earlier this campaign, Mainz also led 2-0 at half time, showing that this was far from a one-off shock. However, Bayern came out firing after the break and ended up winning 5-2. The same kind of pattern has been seen on a number of occasions for München including when hosting Bielefeld – 2-0 at half time turned into a 3-3 draw – and even in Der Klassiker facing Dortmund – down by two goals early but finished 4-2 victors. Therefore, the obvious if not easy challenge for Mainz was to try and ward off any similar type of Bayern barrage when the game resumed after the restart.

There was a clear signal of intent from the visitors as they tried to get their title-clinching game back on track right at the start of the second period. Hansi Flick amazingly made a triple change with Nianzou, Musiala and Choupo-Moting all coming on to try and reinvigorate the side, with the latter two in particular having been in good form, and goal-scoring form, in Lewandowski’s absence. However, importantly, the Pole was not one of the players to make way for the oncoming substitutes. Furthermore, he stayed in the central striking role, while Choupo-Moting, who had been selected to play there in recent weeks with relative success, was moved onto the left flank, but this did not stop him from posing a threat to the home back line. He had a few half-chances throughout the course of his time on the pitch and drew some good while routine saves from keeper Robin Zentner. Mainz stuck it out though and allowed Bayern nothing in the way of a clear-cut chance until it was too late. The result was already in the bag, when the hosts’ only mistake was made by Alexander Hack in the 94th minute. His wayward and miscalculated back-header feel to the feet of potentially the worst possible player that it could have done. Not just on the field of play, but arguably in the entire world. Robert Lewandowski pounced on the loose ball and slotted past Zentner for a very late consolation. The final whistle blew moments after Lewandowski reduced the deficit and although the goal may have been trivial in determining the outcome of the game, for the Polish forward, it may have still had a major significance.

Even after missing the last four league games through injury, Lewandowski still has the possibility of equalling or potentially going one better and beating Gerd Müller’s single-season Bundesliga scoring record of 40 goals. After notching in stoppage time against Mainz, Lewandowski now has 36 for the season with three games left to play. Therefore, there is every chance that he can still reach the required target and write his name into history for the record that Müller has held for nearly fifty years. In addition, if Bayern are able to seal the Bundesliga crown in their next game at home to Gladbach, the order of the day will surely divert to setting up the Pole in the hope that he will accomplish his goal-scoring quest.

For the two teams on the whole, the final result would have dispelled more worries for Mainz than it would have created for Bayern. After a remarkable string of performances in the run-in, Mainz now sit 12th in the table and with others faltering around them, they are far from the favourites to go down that they were at Christmas time. As for Bayern, the missed opportunity to finalise their ninth straight title is nothing more than a case of delaying the inevitable and games against Mönchengladbach and Freiburg to come, who are both substantially less desperate for points than Mainz, will surely produce the solitary required win to get over the line before things would really start to become interesting.

The Games Keep Coming

Augsburg 2-3 Köln

The relegation battle in the Bundesliga is sure to go to wire this season, as upturns in form from the likes of Mainz and Bielefeld have seen them rise up the table. Werder Bremen and Augsburg are currently enduring something of a slump, which has seen them get dragged into the fight for survival that they appeared to be comfortably away from just weeks ago. Add that to a Köln side whose recently appointed manager has got them playing better and an impressive six points from his first nine available and the jack-in-the-box that is Hertha Berlin who sit second bottom but with now three games in hand. All that of that simply means that the scrap to avoid the drop is too tight to call and we should all just sit back and enjoy the drama!

However, fans of Augsburg in particular may be feeling substantially more nervous than they were a week ago before their clash against fellow strugglers Köln. They found themselves in a dire situation already by half time in this one though, as their visitors fired in three first half goals to stun the hosts. Florian Kainz found the net for the first time this season, but it was Ondrej Duda who was the real catalyst for the sensational Köln performance in the opening period as the Slovakian scored twice. The latter of his brace, and the latter of the three goals, summed up the team’s play at this stage, as a cut-back cross was rifled into the roof of the net by Duda on 33 minutes. The away team were passing the ball with a swagger unusual for a team currently in the play-off spot at the wrong end of the Bundesliga, but the confidence that a new manager can spark is incredible. Before Friedhelm Funkel arrived the helm for the Billy Goats, they were passive and seemed all too scared of the decline that they were on. Despite a loss in his first game, Funkel has led the side to a couple of vital wins since – beating Leipzig last week and then coming out victorious in this relegation six-pointer.

With the severity of the first half display clearly apparent for Augsburg, they kicked-off the second period with a newfound vigour. Half time substitute Robert Gumny was instrumental in the home team’s good play after the break, to the surprise of many. The Polish full-back has found it hard to tie down a regular starting position, but he was the player that the chances seemed to want to fall to after the restart. He put his first opportunity wide with a header, but then made amends to cut the deficit as he made it 3-1 shortly afterwards. Ruben Vargas doubled Augsburg’s second half tally, but they could not match the treble that their opponents notched in the opening stages and the Bavarians fell to defeat. They have now taken just one point from the last twelve on offer and the threat of going down is certainly a real one.

Bayer Leverkusen 3-1 Eintracht Frankfurt

A massive victory for the inconsistent Leverkusen as they make big advances towards securing their Europa League spot for next season. However, the implications for this game go far beyond just who will be in Europe’s secondary competition as this loss could prove to be detrimental for Frankfurt’s Champions League ambitions. Both they and Wolfsburg looked set on for a place in the top four just a few games ago, however poor form has hindered both sides and four wins out of four has seen Dortmund close the gap to Eintracht to a single point. It was clear that Frankfurt knew the significance of the game with Bayer due to this, and having seen Dortmund get the better of Wolfsburg earlier in the day, they set out rather timidly as they tried to at least claim a draw on the road.

The first half was a drab affair with little tempo and the expected match-winners were yet to come out of their shells. However, the 70 minute mark was a turning point, as Leverkusen’s two most dangerous players combined for a clever opener. When the ball came out to Moussa Diaby following a set-piece, the Frenchman spotted fellow winger Leon Bailey making a run in behind the defence on the left-hand side. The back line stepped up, in the hope of playing opposition attackers offside, but Bailey’s movement was well-judged and he received the ball in a pocket of space big enough to have the time to set himself and slot past Lukas Hradecky in the Eintracht goal from the tightest of angles. Knowing what a defeat would mean for their season’s hopes, Eintracht were forced to come out and try to play by the smart opener. However, as so often happens, the more open game meant more space and therefore more chances.

Lucas Alario was the man to exploit this for the home team, as his run in behind was picked out by goal scorer Bailey. Alario took the through ball from the Jamaican in his stride before expertly dinking his effort over the goalkeeper for 2-0. Leverkusen had suddenly gone from creating very little to a reasonably comfortable grip on the game. Eintracht’s lacklustre attempted fightback did not signal any drastic change either, although they did find a consolation goal through a regular source. Normally it is Filip Kostic providing the service from out wide for Andre Silva, but it was Steven Zuber who set up the Portuguese striker on this occasion with a fine cross, but the change of creator did not impact on the end result as Silva nodded home. This goal was scored in the final minute of normal time, therefore a draw was still just about on the cards for Frankfurt as the match entered three added minutes, but all hope was extinguished with a very late Bayer third. The manner of the goal only served to further rub salt in Frankfurt wounds, as a speculative Kerem Demirbay strike deflected off a visiting defender before nestling in the corner of the net. It was the final stroke of misfortune to sum up what was a miserable day for the away team.

Rest of the Round-Up

Freiburg 1-1 Hoffenheim

The visitors were denied the win by a late penalty from their former player Vincenzo Grifo, however Hoffenheim stay undefeated in the last four games regardless – a run which has all but ensured their Bundesliga safety.

Union Berlin 3-1 Werder Bremen

A Joel Pohjanpalo seventeen-minute hattrick justified his inclusion from the start for the capital club, but his fantastic display also condemned Bremen to their seventh straight loss. Werder are now deep in the relegation mire and will have to hope that others around them struggle as much as they are at the moment or they may have to face, at best, a relegation play-off for the second successive season.

Wolfsburg 0-2 Borussia Dortmund

After being seemingly destined for the Europa League, an impressive four match winning streak has seen Dortmund all but obliterate the gap between themselves and both Wolfsburg and Frankfurt in the top four. It was their main man up top who capitalised on a couple of costly errors from the home team, as Erling Haaland grabbed a brace that meant Wolfsburg now have just three points from the last twelve available.

RB Leipzig 2-0 Stuttgart

The hosts kept their slim shot at taking the title alive for at least until the next game with victory over Stuttgart. Amadou Haidara popped up with an impressive header just after the break, before Emil Forsberg put a seal on the three points from the spot.

Borussia Mönchengladbach 5-0 Arminia Bielefeld

Arminia had enjoyed a decent run of results in recent matches that had seen them move out of the drop zone, but they came crashing back to earth with this 5-0 defeat way to Gladbach. Importantly, however, they do not go crashing back into the bottom three just yet, but a mere point separates them and Köln in the play-off place.

A Few Words On… Julian Nagelsmann

In the days after Bayern München failed to seal their ninth straight Meisterschale away to Mainz, a both unexpected and somewhat expected turn of events for the club has played out. Current coach Hansi Flick had revealed his interest to go and take charge of the German national side at the end of the Euros when the retiring Joachim Löw departs, therefore Bayern were on the hunt for a new manager. However, for most clubs, especially in other leagues, they may look at coaches currently out of work or simply at a smaller club where they have impressed. Bayern München on the other hand, as they often do for players, have looked to their closest rivals to find their next man to lead the team. Julian Nagelsmann, still at the RB Leipzig helm, has been the manager to run Bayern closest this campaign and he has done it with a side lacking the experience often required. Nevertheless, his team has a clear system and attitude to football that has impressed many. The coach himself is only 33 years of age. For this reason, Bayern may be viewing Nagelsmann as a long-term option to hopefully have repeated success for many a year to come. Having already signed Dayot Upamecano from Leipzig as well, the young manager will not be simply taking over a whole new group of players, but can build around the defender he already knows. Confirmed departing players like Javi Martinez, Jerome Boateng and David Alaba all mean that there should be room for Nagelsmann to form his own new Bayern side and perhaps introduce a wave of youth, a trend of his in previous roles at Hoffenheim and Leipzig. Some may be surprised to see a manager confirmed to be leaving to join another club, let alone a rival, already before the season is concluded, however Nagelsmann is not the first or even the second to do so in the Bundesliga this campaign so far. Firstly, Gladbach boss Marco Rose had been snatched up by Dortmund to replace interim manager Edin Terzic as the first permanent fixture since Lucien Favre was sacked. Furthermore, Mönchengladbach then, finding themselves without a coach for the next season, decided to hire the services of current Frankfurt man Adi Hütter. Therefore, this shows that Bayern’s move to sign a fellow top team’s manager is not an altogether unheard-of occurrence, far from it, but the fact that Nagelsmann’s RB Leipzig have been the only ones that have even remotely looked like mounting a title challenge, does make the whole situation still fairly peculiar.

What to Look Forward to Next Matchday

With the DFB-Pokal taking centre stage next weekend, Matchday 32 will not be kicking-off until Stuttgart host Augsburg on Friday 7th May. However, since Hertha have been cleared to compete following a period of isolation due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the club which has seen them take a back seat for the past three rounds of fixtures, the side from the capital will be back in action twice before Matchday 32. Therefore, the next German Football Blog report will be focusing on:

Mainz vs. Hertha Berlin

Hertha Berlin vs. Freiburg

These games come from the Matchday 29 and 30 fixture lists respectively as Hertha look to cash in their games in hand on the teams around them. Before their enforced pause to play, Hertha had been unbeaten in three and their survival bid appeared to have been picking up, however they now find themselves second bottom. It is true that winning both of these upcoming fixtures would see them move out of immediate danger while still possessing a game on their rivals. However, any player in this situation would say that they would much prefer to have the points in the bag than have the potential for more. Especially when the pressure is on, and the teams you have to face are a resurgent Mainz side and a Freiburg team that can match up against anyone on their day. This should be interesting.