Kane rescues Bayern in Mainz draw, Dortmund held, Stuttgart win

Harry Kane converted a late penalty as runaway leaders Bayern Munich salvaged a 2-2 draw against bottom club Mainz to maintain their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga season on Sunday.

Headers from Kacper Potulski in the 45th and Lee Jae-Sung in the 67th had sensationally reversed Bayern's 29th minute lead from teenager Lennart Karl in Mainz' favour.

But teenager Potulski, playing only in his second career Bundesliga match, then pulled down the England captain Kane who duly converted from the spot in the 87th for a point.

Bayern moved nine points clear of RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, as Leipzig lost 3-1 at Union Berlin on Friday and Dortmund drew 1-1 in Freiburg with 10 men earlier Sunday.

Bayern's only other dropped points this season came in a 2-2 draw at Union Berlin, whose former coach Urs Fischer took charge of Mainz this week and had a great Bundesliga start with his new side.

Take it on our chin

"We had to fight for the point. They defended well. We had opportunities but the final pass and goal were missing today," Kane told streaming portal DAZN.

"A draw at home is always disappointing. We have to take it on our chin and try to win next week," he added, looking ahead at the last match before the winter break next weekend at lowly Heidenheim.

Mainz defender Danny Da Costa said: "I would have taken a point but of you lead 2-1 until shortly before the end you want all three."

Bayern dominate and lead

Bayern were utterly dominant from the kick-off but a little lucky in the 15th when Stefan Bell headed against team-mate Lee from whom the ball hit the crossbar.

That only spurred on Bayern even more as Kane forced Daniel Batz to a big save, and the keeper was also on his guard against Serge Gnabry.

Bayern were finally ahead in the 29th when Kane's cross across the goalmouth from the right was sent back into the middle by Gnabry for Karl to tap home Bayern's 50th league goal, a new record at this stage of a season.

Mainz hit back out of the blue

Kane had a sensational sideways scissor kick blocked by a defender but Mainz shocked Bayern with a equalizer completely out of the blue on the stroke of half-time.

William Böving cleverly won a free-kick which he delivered for Potulski to head into the left corner.

After the break, Gnabry failed to connect properly with Karl's floating cross towards the far post, Batz saved from Gnabry and Kane's shot on the rebound was blocked.

But Mainz shocked the champions again in the 67th when Lee dropped behind Josip Stanisic and converted Bell's cross with a looping header into the far right corner for a surprise 2-1 lead.

Kane to the rescue

With their former great Thomas Müller looking on during a visit, Bayern looked rattled and lacked precision but they got the equalizer when Kane sent Batz the wrong way from the spot for his 18th league goal of the season.

The draw spared Bayern an extension of a matchday 14 curse, as they had lost for the first time in the two past seasons at this stage, last year in Mainz. Bayern also remain unbeaten in their last Bundesliga home game of a year since a last defeat in 1987.

Dortmund held, Stuttgart win

Earlier in Freiburg, Ramy Bensabaini put Dortmund ahead in the 31st. But Jobe Bellingham was sent off in the 53rd for an unfortunate last-man foul and Lucas Höler scored a sensational equalizer in the 75th with a sideways scissor kick.

"You score such a goal once in your life," Dortmund captain Emre Can said. "We have to live with it and I can live with it. With one man less you can't expect to win here."

VfB Stuttgart are sixth after winning 4-0 at 10-man Werder Bremen in the late game.

Bilal El Khannouss headed the opening goal in the 40th, Jamie Leweling fired a stunning second from a distance four minutes later and Deniz Undav and Chris Führich wrapped up matters after Bremen's Karim Coulibaly was sent off just before the hour.