Led by triple goalscorer Harry Kane, FC Bayern delighted the injured Thomas Tuchel with a goal party. After reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League, the Munich team celebrated an 8:1 (3:1) win against FSV Mainz 05 in a highly entertaining Bundesliga game on Saturday. Except for Kane (13th/45th + 7/70th minute ) Leon Goretzka (19th/90th+2), Thomas Müller (47th), Jamal Musiala (61st) and Serge Gnabry (66th) made the Bayern fans cheer a lot. The remarkable free kick goal to make it 1:2 by Mainz’s Nadiem Amiri (31′) was almost lost in the flood of goals.
Tuchel couldn’t jump for joy with his broken big toe on his right foot “well wrapped and tightly packed.” The limping coach, who did without the fracture shoe from the previous day, enjoyed Kane’s next goal show even without jumping in celebration. Kane scored with his right, his left and his head.
The third goal: Harry Kane scored his 30th goal of the season with a header
Source: Getty Images/Alexander Hassenstein
The 100 million purchase from the summer now stands at 30 Bundesliga goals. Former Bayern star Robert Lewandowski’s 41-goal record is shaky this season. The English international became the first player in Bundesliga history to score eight multiples in his first season.
In a sometimes wild duel between the second-placed team, who at least for one night reduced the gap to leaders Leverkusen to seven points, and the second-to-last team, the Munich team uncharacteristically took the lead through a counterattack. Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer made the game quick. The ball came to Kane via Müller and Musiala, who was already sniffing the goal himself, and he effortlessly converted it.
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Even at 2-0 it happened too quickly for Mainz. Joshua Kimmich, who was also called up as right-back in the absence of the suspended Aleksandar Pavlovic, took a free kick quickly. Goretzka dusted Kane’s header onto the post with his first goal since the first leg win in Mainz.
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Mainz Amiri responded with a wonderful free kick into the corner against a completely unsuccessful Bayern wall. But in the seven minutes of stoppage time in the first half, which was so extensive due to Alphonso Davies (Bayern/18th) and Josuha Guilavogui (Mainz/35th) suffering head injuries and being substituted early, Kane scored again after Goretzka’s preparatory work.
Guilavogui’s injury in particular caused a moment of shock. The Frenchman remained motionless on the ground after the collision with teammate Anthony Caci. Referee Patrick Ittrich was quickly on hand to help, as were several Mainz professionals. Mainz sports director Martin Schmidt spoke of a “concussion” and a “great fright”. Davies was hit in the face with his foot early on by 05 captain Silvan Widmer in an aerial duel.
After Müller made it 4-1 at the start of the second half on a pass from Musiala, the game was decided. Musiala made it 5-1 after Kane’s preparatory work. On his Bundesliga comeback after three months, Gnabry acrobatically raised the ball with a heel. Kane was allowed to go again – this time with a header. Like Goretzka shortly before the end. It was the biggest win since the end of October and the 8-0 win against SV Darmstadt 98.
Mönchengladbach – Cologne 3:3 (1:1)
Borussia Mönchengladbach and 1. FC Köln had a spectacular football exchange of blows in the thrilling Rhenish derby. The 3:3 (1:1) on Saturday in Borussia Park had everything that makes a thrilling Bundesliga game. Cologne took the lead twice through Faride Alidou (7th minute/64th). Gladbach turned the game around in the meantime, but in the end Damion Downs saved FC a point with his goal in the 79th minute. Franck Honorat (32nd) and Robin Hack (71st/73rd) scored for Borussia in front of 54,042 spectators.
However, in terms of the table and emotionally, the result is not enough for both teams. Cologne remained winless for the fifth time in a row and is seven points behind the 15th place in the table. After the 3-1 defeat in the first leg and three days before the quarter-finals in the DFB Cup at 1. FC Saarbrücken on Tuesday (8.30 p.m./ZDF and Sky), the hosts missed the revenge they were aiming for.
The game had made headlines long before the ball rolled. On Friday evening, Gladbach and Cologne fans met at Borussia Park and triggered a major police operation. According to police, two male and female officers were injured and more than 200 people were arrested. An actually planned choreography by the Gladbach supporters did not take place. The atmosphere in the stands was heated right from the start, and the pace was immediately on the pitch.
It only took seven minutes before Alidou broke through on the right, shot almost from the baseline and Gladbach’s goalkeeper Moritz Nicolas bounced the ball into the goal. The hosts responded immediately. Cologne keeper Marvin Schwäbe directed an attempt from Florian Neuhaus onto the post, and Nathan Ngoumou didn’t hit the rebound properly.
Double packer in the derby: Cologne’s Faride Alidou (center)
Those: dpa/Federico Gambarini
After a lively opening phase, the Cologne team got the game better under control. Although Borussia often had the ball, FC didn’t allow anything around the penalty area. The guests were the more dangerous team on the counterattack. Sargis Adamyan narrowly missed making it 0-2 after a cross from the left side.
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A mistake by Cologne in the build-up game then helped Borussia. Neuhaus switched quickly, sent Honorat and the Frenchman scored to make it 1-1. Gladbach became stronger. After a remarkable combination with Jordan Siebatcheu, Neuhaus failed again at the post (53′). The game now became wild. First Alidou headed FC back into the lead, then substitute Hack turned the game around for Gladbach. However, FC scored the final point: Downs equalized to make it 3-3 for the guests.
Leipzig – Darmstadt 2:0 (1:0)
After being eliminated from the Champions League, RB Leipzig returned with a must-win in the everyday Bundesliga and entered the duel for fourth place with Borussia Dortmund. The cup winners won 2-0 (1-0) against bottom team Darmstadt 98 on Saturday and at least temporarily moved past BVB into fourth place. Dortmund played against Werder Bremen on Saturday evening.
In front of 44,319 fans, Darmstadt’s Thomas Isherwood (3rd minute) gave Leipzig an early lead with an own goal. In the second half it only took a few minutes until substitute Christoph Baumgartner scored (50′).
After the demanding performance on Wednesday at Real Madrid, in which a 1-1 draw was not enough to advance, coach Marco Rose changed his starting eleven to four positions. Among other things, the injury-prone high-class technician Dani Olmo was given a break; winter newcomer Eljif Elmas was in the starting line-up for the first time. The 23 million euro offensive man had previously only made seven short appearances in the Bundesliga.
Augsburg – Heidenheim 1:0 (1:0)
FC Augsburg is continuing its remarkable climb to the international starting positions in the Bundesliga. In the unspectacular but mature and calm 1-0 (1-0) against promoted team 1. FC Heidenheim, successful coach Jess Thorup and his team were able to celebrate their third win in a row on Saturday.
Before that there was a 2-1 win against SC Freiburg and a brilliant 6-0 win in Darmstadt. Defense chief Jeffrey Gouweleeuw scored with a volley after a corner from Arne Maier in the 22nd minute in front of 30,660 spectators in the sold-out Augsburg Arena.
“Ambitious but humble – that is the path we want to take together until the end of the season,” was Thorup’s brief before kick-off. In the first half of the season, the Dane celebrated a top debut with a 5-2 win in Heidenheim. In 18 games under Thorup, the Augsburg team scored 27 points. The gaze can be directed upwards.
Against Heidenheim, the increased self-confidence and the well-rehearsed processes were evident. The defensive triangle with the outstanding central defenders Gouweleeuw and Felix Uduokhai and clearer Kristijan Jakic in front of them defused many of Heidenheim’s offensive actions.
And going forward, the FCA game under Thorup is structured and goal-oriented. For once, the FCA success was also possible without a goal from captain Ermedin Demirovic (14 goals this season). The Bosnian international struggled in vain in the front line.
