Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich survived a scare, fighting back from three goals down to beat Mainz 4-3 on Saturday for a morale-booster before facing Paris Saint-Germain.
Bayern, which goes to Paris on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, arrived in Mainz in good cheer after clinching the title last weekend and reaching the German Cup final with a win over Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.
But Mainz romped to a deserved 3-0 half-time lead against a heavily-rotated Bayern team, with Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise among those on the bench.
Mainz might even have scored more than the goals that came from from Dominik Kohr, Paul Nebel and Sheraldo Becker.
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany sent on Kane and Olise for Luis Díaz and Aleksandar Pavlović at the break – all four are likely to start against PSG.
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Nicolas Jackson pulled one back in the 53rd and Olise let fly with a brilliant strike inside the far post in the 73rd before Musiala equalized in the 81st.
Kane then scored the winner two minutes later from the rebound after Daniel Batz had saved Musiala’s effort.
Last-place Heidenheim staved off demotion with a 2-0 win over relegation rival St. Pauli. Budu Zivzivadze scored early and Eren Dinkçi late on to keep Heidenheim’s hopes of survival alive with three rounds remaining.
Second-last Wolfsburg was unable to capitalise on St. Pauli’s loss as it drew 0-0 at home with Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Cologne remains in danger after a 2-1 loss at home to Leverkusen in their Rhine derby. The win moved Leverkusen a point behind fourth-place Stuttgart before its game against visiting Werder Bremen on Sunday.
Also Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt drew 1-1 at Augsburg.
Published on Apr 25, 2026