Sadio Mane missed a penalty, but scored the rebound and set up two more as Bayern Munich romped to victory over Mainz.
It only took Bayern five minutes to go in front when Mane found Serge Gnabry in the middle and he had time to steady himself before slotting home.
The goal of the day came just before the half-hour mark when Jamal Musiala exchange passes on the edge of the box with Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting before striking home from the edge of the area.
It was three just before the break when VAR found Mane was brought down in the box and though he hit a poor penalty, Robin Zentner parried the ball straight back to him and he gleefully scored.
Just before the half-time whistle, Mainz got on the scoresheet when, after Jonathan Burkardt had just missed a penalty for the visitors, Silvan Widmer headed home Anthony Caci’s corner.
Mane’s fine cross for Leon Goretzka restored the three-goal lead in the second half and then Mathys Tel scored his second goal for the club after coming on as a substitute, before Mainz substitute Marcus Ingvartsen also netted after a sloppy pass from Bayern ‘keeper Sven Ulreich.
Choupo-Moting then scored his fifth goal in as many games, after Kingsley Coman’s run and centre, giving Bayern a four-goal margin which did not flatter them and leaves them top of the table, at least until Union Berlin play Borussia Monchengladbach on Sunday.
TALKING POINT – HOW GOOD CAN MUSIALA BE?
This week Lothar Matthaus compared him to Lionel Messi. Your instinct is to tell Der Panzer to Beruhige den Hof (Calm the farm) but Messi at 19, Musiala’s age, was still two years away from his 13-year run as a goal-a-game merchant. At present, Musiala is tracking pretty well. His goal was typically Messian, he dribbled to the edge of the box before presenting the ball to a team-mate, and telegraphing with his run where he wanted the ball played back to him before sending an unerring shot at goal. This brought him to double figures in all competitions and he nearly added to it with a great run and poked effort which Zentner was relieved to see deflect off him then balloon over the bar.
PLAYER OF THE MATCH – SADIO MANE (BAYERN MUNICH)
The start to his Bayern Munich career has been hit and miss but now on the left side of attack he looks the ubiquitous nightmare for defences he was for years at Anfield. A glut of goals looks around the corner (or maybe after the season restarts in January), but his poor penalty may see him unable to add spot kicks to his tally in future. Even if he is not the top scorer for Bayern as was expected, given the surprise form of Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting at centre forward, he is well worth his place in the forward line despite incredibly strong competition.
PLAYER RATINGS
Bayern: Ulreich 6; Mazraoui 7, Upamecano 6, De Ligt 6, Davies 6; Kimmich 6, Goretzka 7; Musiala 8, Gnabry 7, Mane 9*; Choupo-Moting 8.
Subs: Pavard 6, Sabitzer 6, Coman 7, Gravenberch 6, Tel 7.
Mainz: Zentner 7; Fernandes 5, Hack 5, Caci 5; Widmer 7, Leandro Barreiro 5, Stach 5, Lee Jae-sung 5, Aaron Martín 6; Burkardt 6, Onisiwo 5.
Subs: Ingvartsen 7, Fulgini 6, Barkok 6, Bell 6, Burgzorg 7.
MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
5′ GOAL FOR BAYERN! It never seems to take long at the moment. Sane in the left-hand side of the penalty area pulls back slightly to Gnabry who has time to steady himself before slotting home.
28′ GOAL FOR BAYERN! And a fine one from Musiala. Fine hold-up play from Choupo-Moting, after Musiala fed the ball into him, drawing four defenders before feeding back to the ex-Chelsea man who drove an unstoppable low shot in from the edge of the box.
33′ OFF THE WOODWORK! TWICE! Burkardt met Widmer’s cross and shot first time against the crossbar and then Lee following up hit a low shot which Ulreich tipped onto the post.
43′ MANE’S PENALTY SAVED BY ZENTNER! The shot was easily within reach of the keeper who parried…
43′ GOAL FOR BAYERN! Mane fires the rebound home. I’m not sure Mane will keep taking penalties after that effort though.
45+3′ PENALTY MISSED! What an awful kick. Burkardt tried to loft the ball down the middle but it was comfortably tipped over by Ulreich.
45+4′ GOAL FOR MAINZ! The corner came in from Caci and Widmer meets it at the near post and flicks it low past the Bayern stopper.
54′ OFF THE POST! Choupo-Moting took a low cross from Mazraoui around the ‘keeper and then from a narrow angle hits the near post.
58’ GOAL FOR BAYERN! Mane this time with the perfectly weighted left-footed cross and Goretzka meets it with a header leaving the ‘keeper with no chance.
79′ GOAL FOR BAYERN! Tel cut in from the left flank and then let fly with a low shot which was deflected in off the underside of Widmer’s leg.
82′ GOAL FOR MAINZ! Ingvartsen notches a goal for Mainz after a casual pass out from Ulreich was intercepted by Burgzorg who backheeled into the path of the Danish striker and he netted a second or the visitors.
86’ GOAL FOR BAYERN! There is Choupo-Moting’s fifth goal in successive games. It was laid on a plate by Coman who dribbled into the box before squaring for the ex-Stoke man.
