Unheralded Mainz stunned Bayern Munich 2-1 at the German champions’ Allianz-Arena home yesterday to preserve their 100 per cent start to the Bundesliga season with a sixth win in six matches.
The result handed Louis van Gaal’s struggling side a second league defeat of the season and left them in eighth place, eight points behind Mainz who lead Borussia Dortmund by two points.
Mainz were in front after 15 minutes when 20-year-old Lewis Holtby swept past Daniel van Buyten to cross for Sami Allagui.
The Tunisian international then beat German international full-back Philipp Lahm before scoring past goalkeeper Jorg Butt with a cheeky backheel.
Bayern, looking a shadow of the team which reached the Champions League final last season, and without the services of Franck Ribery for a month, settled as the half progressed and Miroslav Klose came close with a header in the 43rd minute.
They were level on the stroke of half-time when Mainz’s Danish defender Bo Svensson headed past his own goalkeeper.
But Mainz grabbed the winner thanks to another Bayern defensive error in the 77th minute when Adam Szalai drove the ball home.
“We didn’t play well. It was all due to Mainz, we just didn’t create enough chances,” said Van Gaal.
Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel was delighted by his team’s performance.
“It will take time for this to sink in. I always thought we could win here even after we conceded that goal before half-time. I am really proud of this team,” he said.
Dortmund are second in the table with 15 points after defeating St Pauli 3-1 with Kevin Grosskreutz scoring twice.
Schalke 04, who were runners-up last season, had celebrated their first win of this campaign in midweek with a 2-1 win over Freiburg, but they were facing defeat when they trailed 2-1 at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach.
But former Real Madrid star Raul scored his first goal for Schalke when he netted with three minutes left to grab a point in a 2-2 draw.
The draw was enough for Felix Magath’s side to move off the bottom of the table with Stuttgart, defeated 4-1 at home by Bayer Leverkusen, taking their place.