Bayern win 2:1 at Mainz as Neuer goes off injured again; Dortmund edge Elversberg

Bayern hold on at Mainz

Bayern Munich beat 1. FSV Mainz 05 2:1 on Saturday, 7 November, and remain level on points with Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga after the ninth matchday. Joshua Kimmich opened the scoring in the 14th minute with a strike from 17 or 18 metres, depending on the report, after Harry Kane had slipped the ball across at the edge of the box. The goal was Kimmich's first since the death of his father. Lennart Karl made it 2:0 in the 57th minute, again set up by Kane. Phillip Tietz pulled one back for Mainz in added time (90+3), but it came too late for Urs Fischer's side, who have now lost four competitive matches in a row. Before 33,305 spectators, Bayern stayed unbeaten in their 31st away league game and in 16 competitive matches this season, four days after a 2:0 win at Atlético Madrid in the Champions League.

Kompany out, Danks in charge

Head coach Vincent Kompany missed the match. N-tv reports that he is out with a meningeal irritation (Hirnhautreizung) and that no fixed date has been set for his return. Assistant coach Aaron Danks took charge from the bench for the fifth time, and on Friday he said of Kompany:

“He seems very positive and appears to be on the way to a full recovery.”

Bayern made two changes to the side that beat Atlético, with Aleksandar Pavlovic and Nathaniel Brown replacing Tom Bischof and Alphonso Davies. Luis Díaz, Ismael Saibari, Jamal Musiala and Serge Gnabry were all out injured. Mainz were without the suspended Phillipp Mwene and Stefan Posch, while Paul Nebel and Phillip Tietz began on the bench.

Neuer's record and foot injury

Neuer's afternoon combined a record and a setback. At 40 years and 225 days he became the oldest Bayern player in Bundesliga history, passing Bernd Dreher (40 years and 198 days), according to Opta. It was also his 550th league match. Shortly before half-time, a ball that Jonathan Tah had deflected got past Neuer, and Jae-sung Lee headed it in, but VAR ruled him offside. The injury happened in that same sequence, and Jonas Urbig came on in the 44th or 45th minute, depending on the report.

Sources differ on the injured foot: N-tv and Focus say the right, while El Periódico says the left and adds that the extent of the injury is not yet known. Neuer had already missed seven competitive matches this season, and reports suggest an old tendon irritation in the foot may have flared up again. He has played five of Bayern's eleven possible Bundesliga games so far this season.

Only four players have made more Bundesliga appearances than Neuer's 550: Charly Körbel (602), Manfred Kaltz (581), Oliver Kahn (557) and Klaus Fichtel (552).

Charly Körbel602

Manfred Kaltz581

Oliver Kahn557

Klaus Fichtel552

Manuel Neuer550

Charly Körbel

602 games

Manfred Kaltz

581 games

Oliver Kahn

557 games

Klaus Fichtel

552 games

Manuel Neuer

550 games

Data from the article text

Dortmund, Augsburg and Paderborn

Borussia Dortmund beat newly promoted Elversberg 2:1 at home, with Felix Nmecha scoring twice for the hosts, the first in the 55th minute. Noel Futkeu pulled one back for Elversberg in the 81st minute, and Gregor Kobel had no chance with that goal but otherwise kept his goal in order. Elversberg, a village of only 7,500 residents, filled the away section at Signal Iduna Park with 8,000 fans.

At Leipzig, Augsburg took the lead in the first minute through their guests' early goal, but the hosts then took over and won 5:2, a result that keeps them within touching distance of the top two. Fabian Rieder played for Augsburg in that match.

In Paderborn, Adi Hütter's Frankfurt were a man down when Jonathan Burkardt scored deep into added time, set up by goalkeeper Noah Atubolu, who had come forward for a corner, to secure a late draw. The match was overshadowed by an incident in the away end: reports say a Frankfurt supporter apparently fell over a railing and was seriously injured. Dazn commentator Marco Hagemann said during the broadcast, shortly after the second half began, that the supporter's condition was critical. Both supporter blocks stopped their support once the news spread.