Mainz vs. Bayern Munich: Winners and Losers from Bundesliga
Bayern Munich continued their perfect start to the Bundesliga season on Saturday with a comprehensive 3-0 win over Mainz at the Coface Arena.
Pep Guardiola chose to rest a number of his first-team regulars ahead of a crucial Champions League clash with Dynamo Zagreb on Tuesday night, yet that didn't stop the Bavarian B team from picking up all three points with minimal fuss.
Mainz did offer some competition and looked the better side for much of the first half, yet it was only a matter of time before Martin Schmidt's side would cave under the immense pressure and talent of the German champions.
Here are the winners and losers from Saturday's game.
Winner: Robert Lewandowski
1 of 4
Robert Lewandowski scored two goals on Saturday to confirm his spot in Bundesliga history, having now reached a century of goals in the German top division.
Although the majority of those goals reside in the colours of black and yellow, the Bayern striker has continued to improve each and every year, having just scored seven goals in the past two games.
Undoubtedly one of the best strikers in world football at the moment, Lewandowski continues to score as Bayern continue to lead the way at the top of the Bundesliga table.
Winner: Bayern's Start to the Season
2 of 4
Whichever way we look at it, there's no denying that Bayern have had a great start to the season. Sure, there may have been a few hiccups along the way, but when it comes to simply picking up points, Guardiola's team have essentially been perfect thus far.
With seven wins from seven, Bayern have now matched their own record in the Bundesliga for consecutive wins at the start of a league campaign, as Guardiola and his squad push for a fourth consecutive league title.
No side has ever won the first eight league games of a Bundesliga season. With Borussia Dortmund awaiting Die Roten next week, this will surely be a real test of the current German champions.
Winner: Kingsley Coman
3 of 4
Whether through fault or design, Guardiola's team found their best attempts on goal when they got the best out of both wingers Kingsley Coman and Douglas Costa. The former had been given a rare start in Bayern's side and went on to be one of his side's best players on the day.
The 19-year-old star, who is currently on loan from Juventus, was on hand to put the cross in for Lewandowski's opening goal, only to then grab one himself when Costa drilled in a shot/cross from the left to find the winger unmarked at the back post.
Although still a backup to the first team, Coman's rise through the Bayern ranks has been as swift as it has been impressive. If he can keep up this kind of form, then it only seems like a matter of time before Bayern make the deal permanent and take him on as a genuine talent for the starting XI.
Loser: Bayern's First Half Performances
4 of 4
Bayern ran out comfortable winners on Saturday, yet that wasn't before a rather dreary, uneventful first half in Mainz. Similarly, Lewandowski may have scored five goals against Wolfsburg on Tuesday night, yet that was only after coming on after a first half the Wolves seemingly dominated.
Add to that similar first-half performances against the likes of Darmstadt, Augbsurg and perhaps even Hoffenheim and something certainly seems to be wrong. Bayern just don't look as though they get going until the second half of most games.
In the Bundesliga, this doesn't seem to bother them. Sure, some teams may grab an early goal, but so far the Bavarians have always been able to bring it back before full-time. Yet what happens when this kind of problem translates to the Champions League? Here lies a fault that could trip Bayern up against better sides.
