MAINZ (Germany): Arjen Robben’s last-minute strike gave Bayern Munich a comeback 2-1 win at Mainz 05 to set two Bundesliga records on Friday and send the leaders into the winter break with a commanding 14-point lead.

Robben was free to convert Juan Bernat’s cross from close range after Mainz lost the ball in midfield, giving Bayern 45 points from 17 games, bettering the club’s own mark of 44 set midway through the 2005-06 season.

Pep Guardiola’s Bayern have conceded only four goals for the first half of the season to break their own joint record of seven from 2012/2013 which had matched VfB Stuttgart’s previous best mark in the 2003/04 campaign.

“Of course, we are really happy with the win, but I do feel sorry for Mainz, they left everything out on the pitch and had deserved a point,” said Robben, who was crowned athlete of the year in his home country and claimed his 101st goal for the Bavarians.

“We didn’t do so well in the first half and left a lot of holes in midfield, but compliments to the team for getting the win, which wasn’t easy. We can all go into the holidays happy now.”

It was a cruel defeat on Mainz after a commendable performance.

The home side opened the scoring in the 21st through Elkin Soto, who fired the ball through Manuel Neuer’s legs after the Bayern defence failed to cut out a dangerous cross from Japan striker Shinji Okazaki for what was Bayern’s fourth goal conceded all season.

The Germany shot-stopper, who has been shortlisted for this year’s Ballon d’Or, was left red-faced, but the lead lasted all of three minutes with Bastian Schweinsteiger curling a sensational free-kick over the wall and into the top corner three minutes later.

Mainz had a big chance to take the lead again when Yunus Malli found himself with only Neuer to beat but the keeper kept his cool to stop his shot.

Bayern were lacking their usual spark with only a third of their record 31 shots on goal against Freiburg but they struck when it mattered most with Robben scoring from close range after fine work from Franck Ribery and Bernat for their eighth successive league win.

“It was actually quite a nice evening until the last minute. They had one big chance and they took it,” Mainz general manager Christian Heidel said.

Published in Dawn December 21th , 2014