Bayern Munich Player Ratings vs Mainz: 6/10 for Lewandowski, rest get 5 or lower

Robert Lewandowski scored again but could not prevent Bayern Munich from falling to defeat against 1. FSV Mainz 05.

Bayern Munich might already have won the Bundesliga but came up short against a motivated 1. FSV Mainz 05 side that had their number on Saturday.

Jonathan Burkardt opened the scoring for the home side in the 18th minute as Mainz got off to a flyer. Moussa Niakhate doubled the score in the 27th minute, leaving Bayern shell-shocked.

Die Roten did not fold however and got back into the tie thanks to Robert Lewandowski’s 33trh minute goal. Despite controlling possession for large swathes of the tie, this would prove to be the champions’ only shot on target.

Leandro Barreiro restored Mainz’s two-goal lead in the 57th minute, all but snuffing out any chance of a Bayern comeback. While Julian Nagelsmann’s side were not at their best, one can not take away anything from Mainz who were easily the dominant team on the day.

The scoreline, if anything, flattered Bayern as Mainz caught them on the counter often. They however failed to provide the finishing touches, sparking Nagelsmann’s men’s blushes.

With just two more games to go into the season, Bayern will be keen to end their campaign on a high and pick up maximum points. However, given Saturday’s showing, they cannot afford to turn up complacent or take the result for granted. The Hard Tackle looks at how the Bayern Munich players fared on Saturday.

Sven Ulreich: 4/10

The veteran goalkeeper was part of a Bayern backline that leaked more than a faulty pipe on Saturday. Burkardt hit the post in the second minute in what was a sign of things to come. Unfortunately, Bayern did not heed the warning and had to pay a heavy price.

Ulreich made an excellent save to deny Karim Onisiwo in the 16th minute before a poor pass out from the back, handed Burkardt the game’s first goal on a platter. He does not exude the same confidence as Manuel Neuer and was left helpless for Mainz’s remaining two goals.

Alphonso Davies: 4/10

The Canadian international struggled to get going all game and offered little in attack. He was also turned inside out by Silvan Widmer in the run-up to Mainz’s third goal.

Lucas Hernandez: 5/10

The Frenchman was the pick of a bad bunch on the day. Bayern’s rearguard can of course claim that they were offered little to no protection by the midfield. However, only Hernandez was available to do the dirty work and get stuck in when needed. He also picked up a needless yellow card and was taken off for Tanguy Nianzou in the 67th minute.

Niklas Sule: 4/10

The German is set to join Borussia Dortmund in the summer and given his performance on Saturday, Bayern might not miss him too much. He lasted 79 minutes before being taken off for Josip Stanisic.

Benjamin Pavard: 3/10

The French World Cup winner claimed to be a better defender than Liverpool’s Trent Alexander-Arnold earlier in the season. Given his performance on the day, he might as well have been having a laugh. Pavard looked clueless on Saturday and was privy to the decisive deflection that came off him, leading to Mainz’s third goal. He also picked up a poor yellow card for good measure.

Leon Goretzka: 4/10

The 27-year-old struggled to impose himself on the game and even picked up a knock for his troubles. He was taken off for Leroy Sane at half-time as Bayern sought to fight back.

Joshua Kimmich: 5/10

The German international was the lone Bayern midfielder who looked likely to make anything happen in attack. Kimmich made four key passes, but nothing came out of them. With the others around him largely ineffective, Mainz could use numbers to blot out Kimmich’s influence.

Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting: 5/10

The Cameroonian international was one of Bayern’s better players and showed flashes of inspiration in attack. He went close with a header in the 30th minute before choosing to assist Lewandowski for his strike three minutes later. He failed to keep his energy levels after the break and was replaced by Gabriel Vidovic in the 67th minute.

Marcel Sabitzer: 4/10

The Austrian played a part in the buildup to Lewandowski’s goal but did little otherwise.  He was taken off for Jamal Musiala at half-time.

Serge Gnabry: 5/10

Gnabru was not at his best on Saturday but still could have made the difference had he been more clinical. He failed to convert a golden opportunity in the 16th minute and also laid off what should have been an assist for Lewandowski’s second goal early in the second half.

Robert Lewandowski: 6/10

The Polish international was one of few Bayern players to come out of the game with any credit whatsoever. He was starved of service all game and was forced to run into empty channels to contest 50-50s.

His touch and turn to fire in Bayern’s consolation was inspired and well taken. Lewandowski to his credit dropped deep and even tried to disrupt Mainz’s solid backline with his movement. Unfortunately, others could not take advantage of his efforts.

SUBSTITUTES

Jamal Musiala: 4/10

He replaced Sabitzer at the break but made little difference.

Leroy Sane: 3/10

His lone contribution on Saturday was a yellow card in the last few minutes of the game.

Tanguy Nianzou: 4/10

He was not an improvement over Hernandez.

Gabriel Vidovic: 4/10

The game largely passed him by.

Josip Stanisic: 4/10

He had little opportunity to make a difference.