Harry Kane's Late Penalty Salvages Draw for Bayern Munich Against Mainz on December 15, 2025
Bayern Munich drew 2-2 with Mainz at the Allianz Arena on 15 December 2025, with Harry Kane scoring a late penalty to level the game. Mainz initially fell behind after Lennart Karl put Bayern ahead early, but Lee Jae-Sung headed Mainz into a 2-1 lead. Kacper Potulski, an 18-year-old Polish centre-back, equalised for Mainz shortly before half-time after William Bøving’s free-kick, and was also involved in the late play that led to Kane’s penalty.
This match marked Mainz's first game under new head coach Urs Fischer. Mainz became the first team placed at the bottom of the Bundesliga table to take a point at Bayern's home since Köln in April 2006. They were also the first team to deny Bayern maximum points at the Allianz Arena this season. Despite operating with a defensive 5-4-1 setup, Mainz covered 133.55 km—the second-highest distance in the 12 years of available data—and managed only 15% possession with a pass completion rate below 60%. Expected goals (xG) were 1.07 for Mainz versus 4.72 for Bayern.
Bayern's usual goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, was absent due to a muscle injury confirmed by the club's medical department. The late handball incident that led to Bayern's penalty was described by Mainz’s sporting director, Niko Bungert, as controversial and annoying, expressing that the decision would not have been upheld by VAR.
After 14 Bundesliga games, Bayern Munich remain top of the table with 38 points, while Mainz sits last heading into 2026.
