Mainz stun Frankfurt, Bayern thrash Leipzig as Werder win

Brazilian goalkeeper Kaua Santos endured a game to forget as his Eintracht Frankfurt were shocked by 10-man Mainz 3-1 in the Bundesliga on Saturday.

Frankfurt had 34 shots at goal compared to nine by the visitor, which played with a man less from the 21st minute after captain Nadiem Amiri was sent off for catching Ellyes Skhiri’s right ankle with his studs.

Santos had already conceded an unfortunate own goal. The ‘keeper played out a short pass to Skhiri, who was immediately under pressure from two Mainz players. Skhiri sent the ball looping back toward Santos, who deflected it onto the crossbar, from where it rebounded back off Santos’ arm and in.

Mainz’s Paul Nebel then scored with a deflected shot for 2-0, and Santos was at fault again when a botched pass invited another Mainz attack. Nebel grabbed his second goal in the 58th.

Rasmus Kristensen, who struck the crossbar in the first half, scored Frankfurt’s consolation in the 75th.

Elsewhere, Johannes Eggestein fired promoted St. Pauli to a 1-0 win at Stuttgart, last season’s runner-up. Union Berlin’s winless run stretched to nine games across all competitions as Bo Svensson’s team slumped to a 4-1 defeat at Werder Bremen.

Holstein Kiel ended their five-game losing run by routing Augsburg 5-1, and Borussia Monchengladbach won at Hoffenheim 2-1.

There were tributes with silences before all the games for the victims of an attack on a Christmas market in Magdeburg the night before.

Earlier, Bayern Munich stamped their authority over the Bundesliga in commanding style by hammering fourth-placed RB Leipzig 5-1 on Friday in a game that featured two goals in the opening two minutes for the first time in the league’s history.

Having lost their first league match of the season to Mainz last week, Bayern delivered a command performance against a Leipzig side who struggled to build any attacking momentum.

It is the 26th time Bayern have topped the table at Christmas, having won the title in 23 of the 25 previous occasions they did so.

The game had a remarkable start when Harry Kane’s neat backheel sent Michael Olise clear and he crossed for red-hot Jamal Musiala to tuck in after 28 seconds. Leipzig hit back almost immediately as Lois Openda escaped down the right and his cross was swept home by Benjamin Sesco – the first time in Bundesliga history that two goals have been scored in the first two minutes.

Bayern dominated the rest of the game and got their second in the 25th minute as former Leipzig man Konrad Laimar scored his first Bayern goal, side-footing in a volley from a clever Olise cross.

Joshua Kimmich smashed home a trademark long-range shot after 36 minutes to give the hosts a deserved 3-1 halftime lead, as Leipzig failed to muster another effort on goal.

The visitors showed a bit more attacking intent in the second half without looking dangerous as Bayern continued to create chances.

Olise curled just wide, Kane hit a powerful shot too close to goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi and Leroy Sane shot wide, before he latched on to a through ball by Alphonso Davies to slot in the fourth after 75 minutes.

Two minutes later Davies headed home the fifth from a perfect Kimmich cross.

A miserable night for Leipzig was completed when Benjamin Henrichs suffered a serious- injury in the final minute, collapsing to the turf away from play, and looked in real distress as he was carried off the pitch on a stretcher.

He has torn an Achilles tendon in his right foot and is expected to be sidelined for several months, his club side Leipzig said om Saturday. Leipzig said Henrichs will undergo surgery in Munich on Monday and is expected to be out for several months.

Agencies

German League results on Saturday:

Stuttgart 0 St Pauli 1 (Eggestein 21)

Eintracht Frankfurt 1 (Kristensen 75) Mainz 3 (Santos 15-og, Nebel 27, 58)

Hoffenheim 1 (Kramaric (58-pen) Borussia Moenchengladbach 2 (Sander 23, Plea 61)

Werder Bremen 4 (Grull 13, 17, Weiser 45, Stage 87) Union Berlin 1 (Schafer 23)

Holstein Kiel 5 (Rosenboom 12, Harres 32, 35, Machino 39, 90+1) Augsburg 1 (Claude Maurice 5)

On Friday: Bayern Munich 5 (Musiala 1, Laimer 25, Kimmich 36, Sane 75, Davies 78) RB Leipzig 1 (Sesko 2)