BERLIN (AP) — Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich survived a scare, fighting back from three goals down to beat Mainz 4-3 on Saturday for a morale-booster before facing Paris Saint-Germain.
Match Summary
Bayern travels to Paris on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League semifinal, arriving in Mainz in good cheer after clinching the Bundesliga title last weekend and reaching the German Cup final with a midweek win over Bayer Leverkusen.
However, Mainz romped to a deserving 3-0 halftime lead against a heavily rotated Bayern side. Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise began on the bench, while 18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye made his first start for the visitors.
Mainz's first-half goals came from Dominik Kohr, Paul Nebel and Sheraldo Becker.
Second-Half Rally
Bayern coach Vincent Kompany sent on Kane and Olise for Luis Díaz and Aleksandar Pavlović at halftime — all four are likely starters against PSG.
Nicolas Jackson pulled one back in the 53rd minute. Olise then unleashed a brilliant strike inside the far post in the 73rd minute, and Musiala equalized in the 81st.
Kane scored the winner two minutes later from a rebound after Daniel Batz saved Musiala's effort.
Historic Comeback: It was only the second time Bayern recovered from a three-goal halftime deficit to win a Bundesliga match. The previous occasion was in 1976, a 6-5 victory over Bochum.
Relegation Battle
Last-place Heidenheim staved off demotion with a 2-0 win over relegation rival St. Pauli.
Second-to-last Wolfsburg could not capitalize on St. Pauli's loss, drawing at home with Borussia Mönchengladbach 0-0.
Cologne remained in danger after losing at home to Leverkusen 2-1 in their Rhine derby. Patrik Schick scored twice for the visitors.
The standings show Cologne five points above St. Pauli in the relegation playoff spot, while Wolfsburg sits one point behind St. Pauli, and Heidenheim is three points further back. St. Pauli hosts Wolfsburg on the final day.
Relegation Rules: The bottom two teams are relegated automatically, while the team finishing third from bottom faces a two-legged playoff against the third-place finisher from the second division to determine next season's Bundesliga lineup.
Champions League Race
Hoffenheim won at Hamburger SV 2-1 in the late game to move to fourth, the final Champions League qualification spot.
Stuttgart, one point behind Hoffenheim, can reclaim fourth place on Sunday when it hosts Werder Bremen.
Leverkusen's win in Cologne moved the club to within one point of Stuttgart.
Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt drew at Augsburg 1-1.