Bayern came in to this game riding a seven game winning streak against Mainz. With newly free man Uli Hoeness smiling from the stands, a good result seemed to be in the cards for Bayern. But this was a much different Mainz team than many were expecting. Finding themselves fifth in the league standings, Mainz have shed their label as a forgettable mid table side, and are looking to show that they are a legitimate contender in Germany to play in top flight European competition. A win against the Bavarian giants would certainly help their chances.
The first half started off rather slow with the first legitimate scoring chance coming from Arturo Vidal on a powerful first touch strike inducing a world class save from Mainz keeper Loris Karius. Less than two minutes later, the Mainz back line would prove their worth as a mad scramble in front of the net was cleared away without incident. That would prove to be the running theme for this match: Mainz defense proved to be too organized and skilled for Bayern to take control. That stout defense led to a great counter attack in the 26th minute as Giulio Donati won an arial over Juan Bernat to get a free run down the right flank. After firing off a low cross, Jairo Samperio calmly hit the tap in to give Mainz a 1-0 lead.
Bayern's attack came mostly from the flanks, avoiding the middle of the pitch. Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, the famed Robbery winger duo, couldn't find a way through as Bayern headed into the dressing room down by a goal.
The second half started off strong for Bayern until Rafinha got shown a yellow for a sloppy tackle. The resulting free kick lead to a very good scoring chance for Mainz, but Christian Clemens whiffed badly on the shot. The frustration was beginning to show for Bayern and Pep Guardiola decided enough was enough and subbed on Douglas Costa and Thomas Muller to secure the win. The Muller sub nearly paid immediate dividends as he and Robert Lewandowski teamed up for a dangerous scoring chance, which the Mainz defense deftly turned away. In the 64th minute Arjen Robben had seen enough and equalized off of a long distance strike that caught Karius completely off guard.
Mainz however, were not rattled. Martin Schmidt played the last remaining ace up his sleeve in 22 year old Colombian striker Jhon Cordoba. This substitution paid off greatly as Mainz tactic of defend-and-counter generated another quality scoring chance as Captain Julian Baumgartlinger teed up Cordoba perfectly for a strike that he absolutely buried to put Mainz up 2-1. That result would hold as Mainz defense proved too frustrating for Bayern to solve. Mainz secure their place in the top 5 of the Bundesliga table tied with Borussia Monchengladbach for the last Champions League spot. Bayern however, have little time to lick their wounds as they prepare for a massive showdown with Borussia Dortmund in a battle of the two top teams in the Bundesliga.