FC Bayern celebrates a real goal festival against Mainz 05 on the 25th Bundesliga matchday and delights its fans. FCBinside provides three insights into the match.
Bayern put in an outstanding performance, with an 8-1 win over Mainz 05 on the scoreboard. The game provided the following insights.
1. The Tuchel separation has liberated Bayern
Of course, from a certain point onwards, everything simply worked against Mainz in terms of football: goal with the left, goal with the right, goal with the head, goal with the heel.
But it was also very interesting to see how relaxed Bayern were – the atmosphere was fantastic. Leon Goretzka carried Serge Gnabry piggyback through the stadium after his magic heel goal. Later, after his own goal to make the final score 8:1, the two did it the other way round.
All the Bayern stars had smiles on their faces and there was plenty of laughter throughout the afternoon. There had already been other victories under Tuchel this season, but there was always a certain tension, almost a slightly exaggerated seriousness. That was completely gone against Mainz – and it was simply fun to watch.
Parting ways with Tuchel at the end of the season has liberated Bayern! That shows that it was the right move.
Even Tuchel himself seems to have changed. A twist of fate: Perhaps it is also partly due to the fact that the coach has to relinquish a little more control due to his (self-inflicted) toe fracture.
In any case, he has also seemed much more relaxed in recent days. After the decision was announced, you could tell that Tuchel was still struggling with the decision. He would have liked to carry on and came across as biting in his interviews and press conferences.
Now it’s a completely different picture for him. Even before the game, he joked about his injury. During the game, he often laughed and appeared – like his team: liberated.
2. Goretzka like a new man
The biggest change was noticeable in Leon Goretzka. In the weeks and months before, he could be seen as a symbol of a general Tuchel cramp.
The international has been questioned since pre-season – keyword: holding six. He is not one of them and perhaps Goretzka tried to be a player he simply isn’t over the course of the season. Goretzka often played overly safe, often only making simple passes for entire games. He lacked the creativity and power that once characterised him.
To stick with Tuchel’s English terminology: Goretzka is not a holding six, he is a real box-to-box player on his good days. And that’s exactly what he showed impressively against Mainz. Goretzka played like a new man. Dominant, inventive, simply strong. It was by far the 29-year-old’s best performance of the season. Scored two goals himself, set up two goals, grade 1.
Goretzka almost couldn’t believe it himself after the game. He explained: „I had a special visit today from friends and acquaintances who I haven’t seen for a long time. They said, we’ve been here before, now you have to score a goal again. It’s actually no longer possible in my position, the way I’m playing now. The fact that it worked out today with four scoring points is of course a funny story.“
3. Kane is a goal machine – and so much more
It’s hardly worth realising that Harry Kane is an incredibly good striker. He proves that almost week after week.
Harry Kane scores goals: nothing new really. Harry Kane breaks records: Nothing new, really. Harry Kane can break the next record: Nothing new really.
But the consistency with which Kane delivers is simply remarkable. The word goal machine has perhaps been overused for other strikers, but Kane is exactly that. And much more!
What makes the superstar so special was demonstrated particularly impressively in the game against Mainz. Unlike Robert Lewandowski, Kane is not the end of the attack and a pure finisher.
Kane is now the focal point of the FCB offence. Many attacks end with him, but many also start with him. In addition to his goalscoring qualities, Kane is also a playmaker and preparer. His assist for the 5:1 through Jamal Musiala was fantastic. It was Kane’s eighth assist of the Bundesliga season. For Bayern, the 100 million man is simply worth every cent.
