Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich relied on an 87th-minute penalty from Harry Kane to salvage a 2-2 draw against bottom-side Mainz 05 at the Allianz Arena on Sunday. Despite dropping points at home for the first time this season, Vincent Kompany’s side actually extended their lead at the top of the table to nine points, benefiting from RB Leipzig’s defeat and Borussia Dortmund’s draw earlier in the weekend.
The result preserved Bayern’s unbeaten start to the league campaign, though they were pushed to the limit by a resilient Mainz side debuting under new head coach Urs Fischer.
Bayern dominated the early stages with overwhelming possession but struggled to bypass Mainz goalkeeper Daniel Batz, who made a string of crucial saves. The breakthrough arrived in the 29th minute when 17-year-old sensation Lennart Karl tapped in a Serge Gnabry cutback for his third league goal of the season.
However, the visitors responded against the run of play just before the break. William Boving floated a free-kick into the box, which Kacper Potulski met with a powerful header to level the scores on the stroke of halftime.
The match took a stunning turn in the 67th minute when Mainz took the lead. Stefan Bell chipped a pass into the area, and Lee Jae-sung executed a looping diving header past Manuel Neuer, silencing the home crowd. It appeared the relegation-threatened visitors were poised for a massive upset, defending deep and frustrating a Bayern attack that has already netted over 50 goals this season.
With time running out, Bayern’s pressure finally forced an error. Potulski, who had scored the earlier equalizer, brought Kane down inside the box with a clumsy challenge. The England captain stepped up and coolly converted the spot-kick to spare his team's embarassment.
It was Kane’s 18th league goal of the campaign and his 50th for the club in 2025, maintaining his perfect record from the penalty spot in the Bundesliga.
Speaking after the match, Kane acknowledged the team's defensive lapses shifted the game's dynamic. "We conceded a really silly goal before half-time and that changes the momentum," Kane told DAZN. "When you play against teams who are fighting for every point, they can defend well, they can defend the box, they can make saves, make blocks, and that’s what happened."