Berlin, April 26 (IANS) Bayern Munich overturned a three-goal halftime deficit to beat Mainz 4-3 on Saturday, extending its winning run ahead of the Champions League semifinal first leg away to Paris Saint-Germain.
Vincent Kompany made eight changes from the lineup that beat Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to reach the German Cup final, resting Joshua Kimmich and Dayot Upamecano for load management and handing Bara Sapoko Ndiaye his first start.
Mainz, who had won four of its previous five home meetings with Bayern, pressed aggressively and turned Bayern mistakes into quick attacks. The opener came from a set piece in the 15th minute, when Kaishu Sano collected the ball after a Nadiem Amiri corner and Jonas Urbig’s punch, then crossed for Dominik Kohr to volley in, reported Xinhua.
Urbig kept Bayern alive with saves from Sheraldo Becker and Amiri, but he could not prevent the second. Sano won possession from Raphael Guerreiro, Amiri’s shot was parried, and Paul Nebel drove the rebound under the bar in the 29th minute.
Bayern, toothless apart from an Alphonso Davies effort into the side-netting, conceded again in first-half stoppage time when Urbig tipped another Amiri shot onto the bar and Becker finished from close range.
Kompany responded at the interval by sending on Harry Kane and Michael Olise, and Bayern emerged with far greater purpose. Nicolas Jackson volleyed in from a Konrad Laimer cross in the 53rd minute after good work from Olise.
Mainz held on until the 73rd minute, when Olise cut in from the right and curled into the far corner. Jamal Musiala then leveled from a crowded area after Olise’s delivery in the 80th minute.
Two minutes later Daniel Batz pushed Musiala’s cross into Kane’s path, and the forward finished from close range.
Newly crowned Bundesliga champion Bayern remained unbeaten in 25 away matches and recorded a ninth straight win, while 10th-placed Mainz stayed eight points above the relegation play-off spot with three games remaining.
“The first half was below the standards that have made us so strong this season. We were not there, and at the break we said we had to bring more energy and intensity,” Kane said. “We knew we had the quality to hurt them, and that is what happened. Once the first goal went in, everyone believed this comeback was possible.”
Elsewhere, Hoffenheim edged relegation-threatened Hamburger 2-1 to climb into fourth place, while Bayer Leverkusen stayed sixth after a 2-1 win over Cologne. Wolfsburg and Borussia Moenchengladbach played out a goalless draw, Eintracht Frankfurt was held 1-1 by Augsburg, and bottom side Heidenheim beat St. Pauli 2-0.
–IANS
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