Bayern recovers from 3 goals down to beat Mainz for confidence boost before PSG clash

BERLIN (AP) — Bundesliga champion Bayern Munich survived a scare, fighting back from three goals down to beat Mainz 4-3 on Saturday for a morale-booster before facing Paris Saint-Germain.

Bayern goes to Paris on Tuesday for the first leg of their Champions League semifinal and arrived in Mainz in good cheer after winning the Bundesliga last weekend and reaching the German Cup final with a win over Bayer Leverkusen on Wednesday.

But Mainz romped to a deserved 3-0 halftime lead against a heavily rotated Bayern, with Harry Kane, Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise among those on the bench.

The 18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye made his first start for Bayern.

Mainz's goals came from Dominik Kohr, Paul Nebel and Sheraldo Becker.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany sent on Kane and Olise for Luis Díaz and Aleksandar Pavlović at the break – all four are likely to start against PSG.

Nicolas Jackson pulled one back in the 53rd and Olise let fly with a brilliant strike inside the far post in the 73rd. Musiala equalized in the 81st.

Kane then scored the winner two minutes later from a rebound after Daniel Batz saved Musiala’s effort.

It’s only the second time Bayern has recovered from a three-goal deficit at halftime to record a Bundesliga win. The last time was in 1976 in a 6-5 victory over Bochum.

Last-placed Heidenheim staved off demotion with a 2-0 win over relegation rival St. Pauli.

Budu Zivzivadze scored early and Eren Dinkçi late to keep Heidenheim’s hopes of survival alive with three rounds remaining.

Second-to-last Wolfsburg was unable to capitalize on St. Pauli’s loss as it drew at home with Borussia Mönchengladbach 0-0.

Cologne remained in danger after losing at home to Leverkusen 2-1 in their Rhine derby. Patrik Schick scored twice for the visitors.

Cologne was only five points above St. Pauli in the relegation playoff place, while Wolfsburg was a point behind St. Pauli, and Heidenheim was three points further back. St. Pauli hosts Wolfsburg on the final day.

The bottom two are relegated automatically, while the team that finishes third from bottom faces a two-legged playoff against the third-place finisher in the second division to determine which plays in the Bundesliga next season.

Hoffenheim won at Hamburger SV 2-1 in the late game to move to fourth, the last place for Champions League qualification.

Stuttgart, which is a point behind Hoffenheim, can reclaim fourth place on Sunday when it hosts Werder Bremen.

Leverkusen's win in Cologne moved it a point behind Stuttgart.

Also on Saturday, Eintracht Frankfurt drew at Augsburg 1-1.

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Heidenheim's head coach Frank Schmidt gestures during the German Bundesliga soccer match between 1. FC Heidenheim and 1. FC St. Pauli in Heidenheim, Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Tom Weller/dpa via AP)

Bayern's Harry Kane reacts during a Bundeliga soccer match between Mainz and Bayern in Mainz,Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Bayern's Harry Kane reacts during a Bundeliga soccer match between Mainz and Bayern in Mainz,Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Bayern's Harry Kanecarries the ball back to the center during a Bundeliga soccer match between Mainz and Bayern in Mainz,Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

Bayern's Jamal Musiala celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between FSV Mainz 05 and FC Bayern Munich in Mainz, Germany, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Torsten Silz/dpa via AP)

Manchester City is back in another FA Cup final. Arsenal is back on top of the Premier League.

City will play in a fourth straight Cup final after surviving a scare to beat second division Southampton 2-1 at Wembley on Saturday. Nico Gonzalez's 87th-minute winner completed a comeback after going a goal down in the second half.

Victory kept up City's bid for a domestic treble of trophies, having won the English League Cup and being locked in race with Arsenal for the Premier League title.

Arsenal took advantage of City's semifinal commitments to move three points clear at the top of the standings with a 1-0 win against Newcastle through Eberechi Eze's brilliant first half strike.

At the bottom of the table, a first league win in 2026 wasn't enough to lift Tottenham out of the relegation zone.

Spurs beat relegated Wolves 1-0 to hand Roberto De Zerbi his first victory as coach. But it remained in the drop zone, two points behind West Ham, which clinched a 2-1 win against Everton through Callum Wilson's stoppage time goal at London Stadium.

Liverpool moved up to fourth on goal difference by beating Crystal Palace 3-1. The defending champion leapfrogged Aston Villa which lost to Fulham 1-0.

Arsenal was playing Newcastle later Saturday with the chance to move back to the top ahead of Manchester City.

City was playing in the semifinals of the FA Cup against second division Southampton at Wembley Stadium.

For a short while everything seemed to be going Tottenham's way.

First, midfielder Joao Paulinha managed to stay onside to slide Spurs into an 82nd-minute lead at Molineux and survive a VAR check.

Moments later, Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall leveled the score at West Ham — cancelling out Tomas Soucek's opener and temporarily helping Spurs climb out of the relegation zone.

But Wilson's winner for West Ham in the 92nd — after coming on as a late substitute — saw the fight for survival take another twist.

Spurs' win was it's first in the league since Dec. 28. and further evidence of a lift in form under De Zerbi, who was appointed last month.

The Italian has been in charge for three games and picked up four points.

Liverpool's title defense unravelled long ago but Arne Slot's team looks well placed to qualify for the Champions League and maybe seal a top three finish.

Alexander Isak scored his first goal since a broken ankle and fibula in December as Liverpool moved up to fourth and level on points with third-placed Manchester United, having played a game more.

United hosts Liverpool next week in a match that will have added intensity given their league placing.

Villa started the day with the chance to move up to third but ended it in fifth, going down to Ryan Sessegnon’s first half goal at Fulham. Villa was also level on points with United and Liverpool.

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Southampton's Finn Azaz celebrates after scoring during the FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Manchester City and Southampton in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Manchester City players celebrate after scoring during the FA Cup semifinal soccer match between Manchester City and Southampton in Manchester, England, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)

Liverpool's Alexander Isak celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Liverpool and Crystal Palace in Liverpool, England, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ian Hodgson)

Everton's Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, left, celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham United and Everton in London, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Jonathan Brady/PA via AP)

Tottenham Hotspur's Joao Palhinha celebrates scoring during the English Premier League soccer match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur in Wolverhampton, England, Saturday April 25, 2026. (Nick Potts/PA via AP)

Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon celebrates scoring the opening goal during a Premier League match between Fulham and Aston Villa, in London, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)

Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon celebrates scoring the opening goal during a Premier League match between Fulham and Aston Villa, in London, Saturday, April 25, 2026. (Ben Whitley/PA via AP)