Bayern Munich extended their unbeaten Bundesliga run to 34 games on Saturday by coming from behind for a 4-1 home win over FSV Mainz 05 to go back top of the Bundesliga.
Having last lost in the German league in October last year, Bayern are now just two matches short of Hamburg SV’s 30-year-old, 36-match streak.
Bayern were punished for a poor first half in Munich when Mainz striker Shawn Parker fired home after capitalizing on a mistake by centerback Jerome Boateng.
However, Bayern roared back when Germany midfielder Mario Goetze came off the bench for the second half and played a key part in the hosts’ first three second-half goals.
Goetze made the difference and his dream pass through to Arjen Robben allowed the winger to equalize on 50 minutes. Two minutes later, Goetze combined with the Dutchman for Germany’s Thomas Mueller to fire home and make it 2-0.
With Bayern finally making their 80 percent possession pay off, Goetze fired in a cross for Mario Mandzukic to score their third on 69 minutes.
When Bayern vice captain Bastian Schweinsteiger was fouled in the area, Mueller stepped up to drill home the penalty for his second of the game eight minutes from time to make it 4-1.
“We were like a 1970s VW Beetle and you can’t dream of winning a race against a Formula One car,” Mainz manager Thomas Tuchel said.
Bayern’s win put them back on top of the Bundesliga after Bayer Leverkusen had briefly gone top on Friday thanks to a controversial “phantom” goal in their 2-1 win at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
Hertha BSC went fourth after their 1-0 win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Schalke 04, who host Chelsea in the Champions League tomorrow, needed a 91st-minute winner from Roman Neustaedter to seal a 3-2 win at bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig.
Borussia Dortmund, who face Arsenal tomorrow in the Champions League, stayed second with a hard-fought 1-0 win at home to Hannover 96.
Second-from-last SC Freiburg picked up a point with a goalless draw at Werder Bremen, while Eintracht Frankfurt drew Nuremberg 1-1 at home.
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