Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich suffered their first league defeat of the season, falling 2-1 to Mainz 05 on Saturday as South Korean midfielder Lee Jae-sung netted a brace to end their unbeaten run.
Lee opened the scoring four minutes before halftime, capitalizing on a defensive error by a lethargic Bayern side. The 32-year-old struck again in the 60th minute, showcasing brilliant footwork in the box to finish off a fluid attacking sequence that left the visitors’ defense flat-footed.
This defeat marked the first Bundesliga loss for Bayern coach Vincent Kompany, who recently became only the third manager in the league’s history to remain unbeaten in his first 13 matches.
“We played against a team with a lot of life and spirit and they were prepared to fight for every moment,” Kompany said. “From our side there was not a lack of fighting. We did that to the best of our ability. Today we were not at our best.”
As the Bundesliga heads into a three-week winter break after next week’s matches, Kompany reflected on the loss: “This game, we can’t play it any more. It’s done. We’ll use it to build a fire for next week. That’s the only way to give an answer. This game in Mainz this year we can’t win it but in the future… we’re looking forward to it.”
Bayern, who scored a late consolation goal through Leroy Sane in the 87th minute, remain at the top of the table with 33 points, four ahead of Bayer Leverkusen, who defeated Augsburg 2-0. Mainz climbed to sixth place with 22 points.
Despite dominating possession early, Bayern’s chances fizzled. Michael Olise hit the post in the sixth minute, but Mainz gained momentum. Their leading scorer, Jonathan Burkardt, who has 10 league goals this season, was forced off due to injury after missing a golden opportunity in the 14th minute.
The hosts, undeterred, continued to press. Anthony Caci had a point-blank attempt blocked by Bayern goalkeeper Daniel Peretz before Lee capitalized on a loose cross that slipped past Kim Min-jae and Olise just before halftime.
Mainz maintained their intensity after the break. Lee doubled their advantage with a clinical finish, rounding off a swift six-pass build-up that stunned Bayern’s defense.
Even with Sane’s late strike, Bayern’s attempts to salvage a point fell short, as Mainz confidently held on for a famous victory.
