Mainz 1-2 Bayern Munich: Harry Kane scores again as Champions win on the road to maintain pace with Leverkusen

Harry Kane continued his impressive start to life at Bayern Munich by scoring a club-record ninth goal in his first eight Bundesliga games as the defending champions defeated Mainz.

In recent seasons, Mainz has emerged as one of Bayern's bogey teams, with the 05ers having won their previous three games against the record champions at the MEWA Arena. Bayern broke to take the lead in the 11th minute, looking to snuff out any chance of their hosts adding a fourth.

On Matchday 7, Leroy Sané and Kingsley Coman scored the goals in a 3-0 victory over Freiburg, and both players were prominent for their team's opening goal here. Coman's beautiful finish across the goalkeeper came as a result of Sané's pass.

Even though Mainz persisted, the home side's hopes seemed doomed when Sven Ulreich expertly clawed out Jae-Sung Lee's header at one end and Kane then nodded in his ninth of the year at the other. However, Anthony Caci's miraculous strike just before the break would give the home side new life.

With the next goal now likely to decide the game, a couple of big moments in a minute swung the game in Bayern's favor. Danny da Costa's excellent run down the right resulted in a cut-back into the visiting area that Stefan Bell side-footed agonizingly wide.

Moments later, Leon Goretzka punished that miss after converting from Jamal Musiala's tee-up with a clinical control-and-finish that gave goalkeeper Robin Zentner no chance.

Matthijs de Ligt was fortunate not to divert into his own net, and Brajan Gruda later struck a post, but Bayern held on to keep VfB Stuttgart and leaders Bayer Leverkusen in sight in what is quickly becoming an exciting early title race.

SportsLigue