Four observations from Bayern Munich’s comfortable 3-1 win over Mainz

Bayern Munich never trailed on the road against relegation zone Mainz, extending the club’s undefeated Bundesliga streak to nine games. The Bavarians converted enough opportunities to keep pace with Leverkusen, Stuttgart, and Dortmund in the airtight Bundesliga title race.

Speed kills

Mainz opted to play with high midfielders and wide wingers. Bayern opted to play with relentless attacking speed. As you’d expect, Bayern was up 2-0 by the 16th minute. Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala were blazing through the middle of the pitch, while Kingsley Coman (right-footed rocket), Harry Kane (tap-in header), and Leon Goretzka (blast from the top of the box) were clinical in their respective finishes.

The January transfer budget must earmark money for a starting right-back

Konrad Laimer spent more time today playing center-mid than right-back. His poor positioning in the 43rd minute gave Anthony Caci plenty of time and space to score his left-footed laser. Noussair Mazraoui is a serviceable backup, but he has not been a consistent first choice during his time at Bayern. Coincidentally, loanee Josip Stanisic was fantastic in his first start today during Bayer Leverkusen’s 2-1 win to keep them at the top of the table.

Perhaps he shouldn’t have been sent on loan, but it’s a little too late to have that conversation now.

Harry Kane is invaluable

Strikers are often judged by their goal scoring alone, but Kane’s selfless attitude is starting to spread to the rest of the squad. Kane often drops deep to collect balls, win headers, and allow other players to venture into the attack. Players like Joshua Kimmich and Goretzka are showing a calmer demeanor and choosing positional integrity over individual glory. As Thomas Muller’s age prevents him from playing full matches, Kane’s intangibles continue to pay dividends on his transfer fee.

Bonus: What’s wrong with Mathys Tel?

Tel failed to score in back-to-back appearances for the first time this season. Time to bring in the next wunderkind.

Looking for more analysis on Bayern Munich’s big 3-1 victory over Mainz 05 in the Bundesliga? Check out our Bavarian Podcast Works — Postgame Podcast on Spotify or below:

As always, we appreciate all the support!