15:30 Kickoffs: Mainz send Bayern to shock defeat, Wolfsburg, Bremen, and Köln all win away
Borussia Dortmund have a chance to surge to the top of the table this evening after record champions FC Bayern München fell to FSV Mainz at the MEWE Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Mainz proved the only hosting side to win in the latest set of 15:30 kickoff. Wolfsburg, Bremen, and Köln all won away from home in respective visits to Bochum, Hertha, and Hoffenheim.
The FC Bayern München crisis deepens significantly after Thomas Tuchel suffered his first league defeat in charge of the German giants at his old stomping ground of Mainz on Saturday afternoon. The defending champions once again failed to close a dominant performance out and were made to pay when Mainz turned a late 1-0 deficit into a 3-1 comeback victory. Borussia Dortmund have a chance to move top of the table this evening with a win over Frankfurt. The latest result leaves Bayern on 59 points.
Mainz proved the only hosting side to win in the latest set of 15:30 kickoff. Wolfsburg, Bremen, and Köln all won away from home in respective visits to Bochum, Hertha, and Hoffenheim.
FCB trainer Tuchel made four changes to the XI that drew Man City in Wednesday's Champions' League elimination. Benjamin Pavard was unavailable due to an accumulated yellow-card suspension. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting couldn't shake off his persistent knee issues despite partaking in squad training yesterday. Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sané were also rotated to the bench. Alphonso Davies, Josip Stanisic, Thomas Müller, and Sadio Mané were the four newcomers.
Bayern lined up in a 3-4-3, as did Mainz. Bo Svensson made one change to the XI that drew Köln 1-1 last week. Jae-Sung Lee replaced Anton Stach in one of the buttressing attack positions behind Ludovic Ajorque. The Rheinhessen hosts were able to create some early danger. Silvan Widmer headed a Leandro Barreiro free-kick on target in the 4th. Karim Onisiwo nearly broke through two minutes later. Alphonso Davies defused an early pressure situation with an excellent stop.
Davies was injured shortly after the early tackle and had to be replaced by little-used Moroccan full-back Noussair Mazraoui in the 9th. The substitution marked the end of Mainz's early period of pressure. The German giants were dominant throughout the duration of the first-half. Mané thought he had scored the opener at the quarter-of-an-hour mark, but the Senegalese international's goal was chalked off due to an offside position. Mané scored a goal that counted just shy of the half-hour-mark.
Joao Cancelo, who had moved over to the left to replace Davies, slipped past Widmer and was able to work a measured cross from the penalty area. Mané headed home the 29th-minute 1-0 from the close range at the far post. Mazraoui, Cancelo, Mané, and Müller all missed chances at the 2-0 before it was time to head into the locker room. It looked to be business-as-usual after the restart. The Bavarians maintained well over 70 percent possession generated more chances.
Very much against the run-of-play, however, Mainz were able to equalize in the 65th. Aaron Martin - subbed on for Anthony Caci at the half - sent in a free-kick that the FCB ranks couldn't clear. Lee took advantage of a bad Cancelo away to get a shot on Yann Sommer. The FCB keeper spilled the rebound directly in front of the lurking Ajorque and the FSV's French striker pushed the ball over the line with his head from only about three meters out. The two sides were level.
It got worse for the Bavarians eight minutes later. A seemingly hopeful long hit from FSV keeper Robin Zentner, Ajorque extended to Onisiwo. The Austrian striker held the ball up well against Stanisic before shuffling off for the onrushing Leandro Barreriro. The Luxembourg international polished off the 2-1 dryly in the 73rd. The Pfälzer hosts were completely fired up and ran hard in pursuit of the third goal. They ended up getting it in the form of a Martin stance effort.
Several Mainz actors passed the ball around the area unpressed and unmarked in the 79th. Robert Hanche-Olsen eventually spotted Martin free on the left side of the box. The Spanish fullback - commemorating his 26th birthday - had a spirited go across the face of goal. Even at full stretch, Sommer stood no chance. Tuchel introduced Sané and Gnabry shortly after the 3-1 to no avail. The match finished with a whimper for the guests and the scoreline held.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga's 15:30 kickoffs, SV Werder Bremen and VfL Wolfsburg were able to achieve compelling victories away from home. Niko Kovac's German Wolves traveled to the Vonovia Ruhrstadion to face VfL Bochum and pulled out a 5-1 win. Mattias Svanberg bagged a brace during an affair which saw the Lower Saxon guests rush out to a 4-0 lead. Luca Waldschmidt, Patrick Wimmer, and Jakub Kamoinski also netted goals in the win.
Over at the Olympiastadion in Berlin, visiting Bremen completely spoiled newly reinstalled Hertha trainer Pal Dardai's debut. Marvin Ducksch scored a hat trick in another match that featured a 4-0 lead for the visiting team. Dardai's "alte Dame" were able to pull a couple of goals back via Jessic Ngankam and Dodi Lukebakio, but remain in last-place after the loss. The Charlottenburgers are three points off the relegation playoff place, currently occupied by Stuttgart.
Still another visiting side won over at the PreZero Arena in Sinsheim. Steffen Baumgart's Geißböcke came to town and were totally outplayed before an early handball penalty involving John Anthony Brooks enabled Florian Kainz to take the lead from the spot in the 18th. Davie Selke added a second goal before the first half was out and the Domstädter defended their 2-0 lead until the finish, when Jan Thielmann and Kasper Dolberg traded late goals.