Bundesliga matchday 14 saw Bayern Munich’s first defeat of the season going down against FSV Mainz 05. Bo Henriksen and his men pressure forward and packed defense asked questions that went unanswered by the Bavarians. Nearly 70 percent possession for Bayern hardly mattered as they struggled to stitch together any decent chances for most of the game. The sole goal came off of Sane’s run catching a ricocheted ball. Jae-Sung Lee’s brace was enough to see off the game despite a desperate attempt by Bayern to bring back parity in the final minutes.
Bayern stopped frustratingly short at the Mewa Arena
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Henriksen played the anti-Bayern book to perfection with a personal twist added for good measure. A low block, energetic counter attacking and clinical finishing. Mainz were a compact elastic unit that could press very high or park the bus when needed. Driven by Henriksen’s tactics and enthusiasm on the sidelines, the Nullfunfers, as Mainz are also called, converted the pressure and energy into two deserved goals that were enough to send the visitors back empty handed.
Zesty Sieb
Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images
Armindo Sieb, the 21 year-old Bayern forward on loan at Mainz put on an excellent display against his parent club. Coming on in the 15 minute for the injured Jonathan Burkardt, Sieb brought agility and pace along with a brilliant eye for picking out dangerous passes. He was involved in the thick of things in both goals, picking up an assist for the second. His connection with his teammates and finesse betrayed his age. The lad looks promising and is a good fit for the way Mainz are playing under Henriksen.
Bayern sorely missing Harry Kane
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The HurriKane has been out due to injury and his absence is being strongly felt in the squad. Whilst being one of the finest finishers in world football, Kane is also capable of immense creativity when his side needs it. He is known to drop off into a pseudo number 10 role and pick out potent passes in the final third for his teammates. His linkup play with other attackers often gave Bayern the breakthrough against rigid defences.
Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise turned out to be the sole channels of attacking breakthroughs on the few occasions when that happened. With only 1 out of 13 shots on target, Bayern’s attack was effectively toothless and an eyesore in the absence of their striker. Kane’s presence so far is irreplaceable in the Bavarian camp.
Vincent Kompany’s first Bundesliga defeat
Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images
Bayern Munich faced their first defeat under manager Vincent Kompany. With the winter break fast approaching, the fatigue of the recent match-load has caught up to the Belgian’s squad. Injuries and a slew of mid week games have taken their toll as the Bavarians often looked out of gas against a committed and aggressive Mainz side. With 13 tackles, 27 interceptions and 34 clearances, Mainz effectively locked up the fort and threw the key away.
Bayern finally get a week’s rest before facing RB Leipzig, an important fixture that the Rekordmeister have to win to maintain a healthy lead in the points table. A challenging task against a tough opponent right before the break that will test Kompany and his men’s character come next weekend.
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