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Bayern Munich fell to their third defeat in seven games under new manager Thomas Tuchel to invite Borussia Dortmund back into the Bundesliga title race
Thomas Tuchel is not enjoying the start to life he would have hoped for as his Bayern side suffered their third defeat under him in seven games, leaving their chances of retaining the Bundesliga in jeopardy.
The Bavarians suffered a shock 3-1 loss to Mainz in the Bundesliga’s Saturday early kick-off and could be punished when Dortmund play against Frankfurt.
Bayern were just coming off elimination from the UEFA Champions League mid-week against Manchester City and have only the Bundesliga as a last resort for trophies this season.
This did not seem to matter to them, however, as they capitulated against sixth-placed Mainz to continue their atrocious streak of four games without a win dating back to mid-April.
How it happened
Bayern Munich started well enough against Mainz and took the lead just before the half-hour mark, with a goal from Sadio Mane, who was making his first Bundesliga appearance since punching teammate Leroy Sane after the UCL first-leg against Manchester City.
Bayern coasted through the first half and were good value for their 1-0 lead going into the break, but the second half was a totally different story as Mainz found a chink in the Bavarians' armour and exploited it to the fullest extent.
It took Mainz 20 minutes of second-half action to find the net against Bayern Munich, but after Ludovic Ajorque’s 65th-minute goal, the 05ers scored two more goals in the next 15 minutes to secure a famous victory over their illustrious guests.
After Ajorque’s equaliser, Leandro Barreiro gave Mainz the lead, and substitute left-back Aaron Martin finished the Bavarians off with a goal in the 79th-minute goal to make it 3-1 to Mainz.
Bayern Munich sinking to historic lows
The loss leaves Bayern Munich on the edge of losing their top spot in the Bundesliga if Dortmund beat Frankfurt.
If Bayern fail to win the Bundesliga, it will be the first time since the 2011/12 season that they have failed to lift the title, and the first time since 2011 since they failed to win any trophies at all.
With five games to go and judging by Bayern Munich's current form, it is a real possibility that this could happen.
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