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After returning from the winter break with a vengeance – beating Hertha Berlin 0-4 and Schalke 04 5-0 – Bayern Munich will be looking to head to the top of the Bundesliga table – albeit potentially for only a few hours – by beating Mainz 05 this Saturday. Die Roten have suffered 4 losses this season, but all of them were to clubs in the top half of the Bundesliga table, and so they’ll be expecting another win here given Die Nullfunfer currently sit in 15th place – just one spot above the drop zone.
Mainz 05 vs. Bayern Munich Head-to-Head
These two sides have faced off on 25 occasions in the past, and unsurprisingly, Bayern have dominated. The Bavarian giants have won 18 of their matches against Mainz, while losing just 4 games and drawing 3.
Worryingly for Mainz, the last time they faced off against Bayern was back in August, in the third round of Bundesliga fixtures – and Die Roten ran out 6-1 winners.
Recent form favours Hansi Flick’s side too; Bayern have won their last 5 league matches while conceding just 2 goals, while Mainz are on a 3-match losing streak and have won just 1 of their last 6.
Mainz 05 form guide: L-W-L-L-L
Bayern Munich form guide: W-W-W-W-W
Mainz 05 vs. Bayern Munich Team News
Bayern Munich have struggled with injuries throughout 2019-20, but their previous game against Schalke saw the return of two of their most dangerous attackers in Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry.
Hansi Flick will almost certainly be without Kingsley Coman – who is still recovering from a knee injury – as well as Niklas Sule and Javi Martinez this weekend, but Lucas Hernandez may make an appearance after returning to training with the first team following his ankle injury.
Injuries: Niklas Sule, Kingsley Coman, Javi Martinez
Doubtful: Lucas Hernandez
Suspensions: None
Mainz 05 vs. Bayern Munich Predicted XI
Bayern Munich predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Manuel Neuer, Alphonso Davies, David Alaba, Jerome Boateng, Benjamin Pavard, Thiago Alcantara, Joshua Kimmich, Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Thomas Muller, Robert Lewandowski
Mainz 05 vs. Bayern Munich Prediction
It seems hard to imagine anything but a Bayern victory in this game; Hansi Flick’s side have been in irresistible form as of late and even if their formidable attacking quartet of Gnabry, Goretzka, Muller and Lewandowski were to struggle, Die Roten can call upon the likes of Ivan Perisic and Philippe Coutinho to back them up.
Mainz meanwhile have struggled throughout the current campaign; Rouven Schroder’s side have lost 13 of their 19 games thus far, and have been defeated 6 times at home, suggesting that they won’t have many advantages playing at the Opel Arena on Saturday.
Add in the 6-1 hammering that Bayern dished out to Mainz earlier in the season – and the fact that Die Nullfunfer have conceded the joint-most goals in the Bundesliga - and this game has all the makings of another one-sided victory for the Bavarian giants.
Prediction: Mainz 05 0-5 Bayern Munich
