Mainz coach Bo Henriksen was proud of his team after the 2-1 home win over Bayern Munich, who were not too downcast despite losing their undefeated record in the Bundesliga.
“Of course it’s a great achievement for us to beat the best team in Germany,” Dane Henriksen told reporters after Saturday’s success, which lifted his team up to sixth.
“If we aren’t happy when we win against Bayern, then we’d have a problem. We showed a lot of courage with the ball, we defended very well. Sure it’s a big win for us, but it’s just a win.”
Bayern, who saw their lead at the top cut to four points, agreed Mainz had deserved to win but veteran Thomas Müller said the game had been unique.
“Mainz played a good game and forced us to get involved in the things they do well – the second balls, the persistent little fouls, and the one-on-one duels,” he said.
“To link play up when being pressed man-to-man on a pitch like this in December is not so easy. In the end, it’s about hitting the target and Mainz kept on doing so. We didn’t play a bad game per se – you could see our commitment. The intensity wasn’t lacking today.”
There is one round of Bundesliga matches before the mid-season break. Bayern host RB Leipzig on Friday, when injured striker Harry Kane is set to return, and Mainz go to neighbours Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.
