In-form Bayern too strong for makeshift Mainz

Bayern warmed up in thumping style for next Tuesday’s DFB Cup Round of 16 trip to VfB Stuttgart with a supremely comfortable 5-0 victory over second division leaders Mainz, although the scoreline partially reflected the fact that the home side replaced almost all of their first-choice line-up in the course of the second half, allowing the champions to engage cruise control.

All five of the visitors’ goals nevertheless oozed class, as the 16,500 who turned up at the Bruchweg stadium in a benefit match to aid renovation of the 1,000 year old Mainz cathedral were treated to quality strikes from Miroslav Klose, Luca Toni, and a Landon Donovan brace sandwiching a Bastian Schweinsteiger effort.

Miro on target

With the likes of Franck Ribery, Ze Roberto and Lucio nursing minor injuries, Jürgen Klinsmann’s starting line-up featured a slightly unfamiliar midfield, with Schweinsteiger and Hamit Altintop on the flanks, and Tim Borowski detailed to operate in the hole behind the – highly familiar – front two of Klose and Toni.

The match opened with a scare for the visitors when Burkina Faso international Aristide Bancé cannoned a shot off the post with barely two minutes played, but the champions were ahead a little over 60 seconds later with a goal admirably combining simplicity and class.

Mark van Bommel’s 50-yard crossfield pass found Altintop haring into space on the right. The Turkey star’s immediate low cross was met first-time by Klose, accelerating into the gap between the statuesque defence and thumping the ball past startled Mainz keeper Christian Wetklo.

One ahead at half-time

Niko Bungert almost put through his own goal and Toni dragged a left-footed shot across goal from Borowski’s pass as Munich seized the momentum, but Bayern eased back midway through the half and the home side held the upper hand for a spell.

Elkin Soto drew a good diving save from Rensing after racing clear on the left edge of the box, ex-FCB youth Florian Heller had the ball in the net but was rightly called back for offside, and Rensing got down smartly to a curling free-kick delivered by Markus Feulner, another former Munich man.

Veteran midfielder Miroslav Karhan headed over from close range on 35 minutes, but the visitors dominated the rest of the half and should have gone further ahead when Wetklo spilled Daniel van Buyten’s drive, only for Klose to mishit a straightforward pass to the unmarked Toni, before Martin Demichelis directed a free header straight at Wetklo.

Landon and Massimo combine

Andi Ottl and Massimo Oddo replaced Van Bommel and Philipp Lahm at half-time, and although the first chance of the half fell to the visitors when sub Felix Borja headed wide from Karhan’s floated cross, Bayern extended their lead ten minutes after the restart with another beautifully executed goal.

Schweinsteiger expertly fended off Milorad Pekovic’ increasingly physical attentions before slipping a pass to Toni on the edge of the box. The Italian created space with a fine shimmy before planting a left-footed curler just inside Wetklo’s far post.

Breno replaced Christian Lell and Donovan came on for Klose after an hour, the US ace notching a third goal of the mid-season period ten minutes later with a firm header back across Wetklo from an inch-perfect Oddo cross, delivered by the Italian with his less favoured left foot. The same combination conjured up a carbon copy goal against Kaiserslautern on Monday but from the opposite side of the field.

Champs run riot

Mainz boss Jörn Andersen steadily brought on subs throughout the second half, and the ensuing disorder was laid horribly bare when Schweinsteiger added a fourth just two minutes after Donovan’s strike, the Germany man skilfully netting with a twist of his body from Borowski’s cut-back.

Breno was unlucky at the near post, Donovan had a goal disallowed for offside, and Altintop tested Wetklo with a firm free-kick as Bayern enjoyed a free run of the park towards the end, before Donovan’s last-minute shot from Altintop’s pass was ruled to have crossed the line off Wetklo and the upright, making it a five-goal margin to round off a very promising mid-season period for the Bavarians.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley