bavarian foot works 
10-03-2024 02:02
10-03-2024 02:02
Three observations from Bayern Munich’s high-flying 8-1 goal fest against Mainz
Bayern Munich dominated Mainz for 90 minutes with a 8-1 rout at the Allianz Arena. Bayern was brutally efficient with its 12 shots on goal. Harry Kane recorded his first hat trick since November and four other Bayern players joined the scoring line. Besides a random cleat to the face of Alphonso Davies and Nadiem Amiri blast from distance, it was another successful outing from Bayern.
Bayern finally connects on long balls into the box
All three first half goals were the direct result of successful passes to players sprinting into the box. In a game that saw Leon Goretzka and Konrad Laimer constantly turn over possession in attempts to thread the ball through Mainz’s compact midfield, the long ball gave Bayern a commanding halftime lead.
The pass from Kane to Jamal Musiala for the fifth goal was absolutely stunning. It was also fantastic to see the chef, Serge Gnabry, back in action and finding the back of the net on a clever back heel.
The courage to send these types of passes has been lacking for most of the Rückrunde, but the attackers have also been missing the ability to calmly settle crosses and bury the final touch.
Sure, Mainz is squarely in the relegation zone, nine points from another guaranteed season in the top division. But only seven Bundesliga squads have conceded less goals than Mainz.
IQ trumps speed on the backline
Matthijs de Ligt, Eric Dier, and Joshua Kimmich are significantly slower than the original combination of Dayot Upamecano, Min-Jae Kim, and Noussair Mazraoui. But today’s defense had another dominating performance that sniffed out many opportunities before they even had a chance to blossom. The defense is once again operating as a single unit and continuing to build trust and chemistry.
Mainz’s goal was the result of a foul conceded by Jamal Musiala and never would’ve reached the net if Thomas Müller hadn’t made a business decision to duck. Mainz finished the match with a 0.74 xG but they’ve now scored in six consecutive games.
The league title might be lost, but Bayern is still chasing records
Kane now has 30 goals in 25 Bundesliga matches. At this pace of 1.2 goals per game, he’s on pace to score 40.8 goals in the 34 Bundesliga matches. While it’s hard to imagine a more dramatic ending than Lewandowski breaking the record on the last touch of the season, Kane is certainly doing his best to keep fans on the edge of their seat.
Bayern scored multiple goals for the fifth consecutive game and seem to have found the joy in playing again. With today’s explosion of goals, Bayern is also back on pace to score 103 goals this season. This would break the record of 101 goals, currently owned by the 1971/72 Bayern squad. Looking for a more in-depth review of the game? Is Tuchel finally coaching the way he wants, or has the team been liberated by his dismissal? We discuss that and more in our postgame podcast! Listen to it below or on Spotify. As always, we appreciate all the support!
Related Bayern Munich 8-1 Mainz: Initial reactions and observations
Bayern finally connects on long balls into the box
All three first half goals were the direct result of successful passes to players sprinting into the box. In a game that saw Leon Goretzka and Konrad Laimer constantly turn over possession in attempts to thread the ball through Mainz’s compact midfield, the long ball gave Bayern a commanding halftime lead.
The pass from Kane to Jamal Musiala for the fifth goal was absolutely stunning. It was also fantastic to see the chef, Serge Gnabry, back in action and finding the back of the net on a clever back heel.
The courage to send these types of passes has been lacking for most of the Rückrunde, but the attackers have also been missing the ability to calmly settle crosses and bury the final touch.
Sure, Mainz is squarely in the relegation zone, nine points from another guaranteed season in the top division. But only seven Bundesliga squads have conceded less goals than Mainz.
IQ trumps speed on the backline
Matthijs de Ligt, Eric Dier, and Joshua Kimmich are significantly slower than the original combination of Dayot Upamecano, Min-Jae Kim, and Noussair Mazraoui. But today’s defense had another dominating performance that sniffed out many opportunities before they even had a chance to blossom. The defense is once again operating as a single unit and continuing to build trust and chemistry.
Mainz’s goal was the result of a foul conceded by Jamal Musiala and never would’ve reached the net if Thomas Müller hadn’t made a business decision to duck. Mainz finished the match with a 0.74 xG but they’ve now scored in six consecutive games.
The league title might be lost, but Bayern is still chasing records
Kane now has 30 goals in 25 Bundesliga matches. At this pace of 1.2 goals per game, he’s on pace to score 40.8 goals in the 34 Bundesliga matches. While it’s hard to imagine a more dramatic ending than Lewandowski breaking the record on the last touch of the season, Kane is certainly doing his best to keep fans on the edge of their seat.
Bayern scored multiple goals for the fifth consecutive game and seem to have found the joy in playing again. With today’s explosion of goals, Bayern is also back on pace to score 103 goals this season. This would break the record of 101 goals, currently owned by the 1971/72 Bayern squad. Looking for a more in-depth review of the game? Is Tuchel finally coaching the way he wants, or has the team been liberated by his dismissal? We discuss that and more in our postgame podcast! Listen to it below or on Spotify. As always, we appreciate all the support!
Related Bayern Munich 8-1 Mainz: Initial reactions and observations