Bayern Munich, currently the leaders of the Bundesliga, suffered a major setback in their chase for an 11th straight league crown as they slumped to a 3-1 loss at Mainz on Saturday. The defending champions conceded all three goals in a span of just 14 minutes, which could prove costly in the race for the title with only five games remaining. Bayern had taken an early lead through Sadio Mane’s 29th minute header, but failed to hold on as Mainz mounted a comeback. Despite having over 70% possession for more than an hour, Bayern struggled to carve out any significant chances, with Thomas Tuchel’s team winning just two of their last seven matches under the former Mainz coach. Bayern’s recent erratic form has led to criticism of embattled sports director Hasan Salihamidzic and club CEO Oliver Kahn, who sacked Julian Nagelsmann in late March and brought in Tuchel. The defeat to Mainz is the third under Tuchel’s leadership and has left Bayern on 59 points, with second-placed Borussia Dortmund on 57 and in contention to take over the lead with a win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
