Bayern cruise past Mainz but title celebrations on ice

Bayern Munich stayed on course for a record-extending 34th Bundesliga title with a convincing 3-0 home win over Mainz in the 31st round of the Bundesliga season on Saturday.

Eric Dier (R) of Bayern Munich vies with Jonathan Burkardt of FSV Mainz 05 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayern Munich and FSV Mainz 05 in Munich, Germany, April 26, 2025. (Photo by Philippe Ruiz/Xinhua)

Despite an early scare when Jonathan Burkardt missed a golden opportunity for the visitors, Bayern quickly took control of the game. Leroy Sane broke the deadlock in the 27th minute, finishing off a clever move to score his 50th Bundesliga goal.

The hosts continued to dominate and doubled their lead before the break. Michael Olise pounced on a Mainz mistake to shoot past goalkeeper Robin Zentner to make it 2-0 in the 40th minute. Mainz struggled to create much of anything after the break, while Bayern remained a constant threat.

After a brief spell of Mainz pressure early in the second half, Bayern reasserted its dominance. Sane hit the woodwork twice, but the third goal finally came when Eric Dier headed home Olise's corner in the 84th minute to seal victory.

The game also saw veteran Germany international Thomas Muller reach a historic milestone, making his 500th Bundesliga appearance when he came on as a late substitute to a standing ovation at the Allianz Arena.

Harry Kane, however, picked up a fifth yellow card and will miss next week's crucial trip to Leipzig. Bayern's title celebrations were put on hold as second-placed Bayer Leverkusen also won to remain eight points adrift with three games in hand.

Mainz, meanwhile, extended their winless run to six games but remain within touching distance of Europe's competitions.

"It was an important win today, that's the main thing. Now we have a great chance to win the title on Saturday. Today was a big step forward. I'm happy with the result and the way we played," said Harry Kane.

In the other matches, defending champions Bayer Leverkusen ran out 2-0 winner against harmless Augsburg. Eintracht Frankfurt consolidated its third place with a 4-0 win over Leipzig. Borussia Dortmund climbed into the top six after a last-gasp 3-2 win over relegation-threatened Hoffenheim thanks to a Waldemar Anton winner. Bottom club Holstein Kiel overcame Borussia Monchengladbach 4-3 and Max Rosenfelder's lone goal was enough for Freiburg to beat Wolfsburg 1-0.