Bayern Munich aim for the top spot in the Bundesliga when they take on FSV Mainz at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Defending champions Bayern Munich have a chance to go top of the Bundesliga standings when they welcome FSV Mainz to the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Die Rotenย go into the game after a fairly comfortable 3-0 win at Camp Nou and will be brimming with confidence. Mainz are enjoying a fine start to the campaign and go into the game as the side with the best away record in the Bundesliga.
The visitors have also won two of the last three league clashes between the two sides and have a reasonable chance of causing another upset. Having clawed their way back into the title race, Julian Nagelsmann will loathe for his side to drop any more points, especially at home.
A sequence of five consecutive wins in all competitions has breathed fresh life into a Bayern side that appeared wobbly earlier in the season. With the top players hitting their best form, Nagelsmann and co. have looked nigh on unbeatable in recent weeks.
With progress to the Last 16 of the UEFA Champions League already in the bag, Bayern can afford to focus on the Bundesliga until the World Cup break starts. They currently trail early trendsetters Union Berlin by one point.
Die Eisernen do not take to the field until Sunday when they welcome Borussia Monchengladbach to Stadion An der Alten Forsterei. Should Bayern win on Saturday, they are guaranteed the top spot at least for 24 hours. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up and what tactics they might employ.
Team News & Tactics
Bayern Munich
๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ณ๐ถ๐๐ฒ โ#UCL #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/MudHG442ky
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) October 27, 2022
Bayern Munich will be without the injured trio of Lucas Hernandez, Leroy Sane and Bouna Sarr, all of whom are still some way away from returning to full fitness.
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has also been on the sidelines for the last five games and is unlikely to be risked on Saturday. Sven Ulreich has stepped in well for the German veteran and is likely to continue in goal. Julian Nagelsmann has an otherwise full squad to choose from.
The Bayern Munich boss rotated his squad against Barcelona and could restore some of the familiar faces to the starting eleven this Saturday. He is unlikely to tinker with the 4-2-3-1 system, and the German championss look set to continue with their winning formation.
Ulreich will start in goal behind the back four of Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano, Matthijs de Ligt and Alphonso Davies. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka will form the double pivot on the night, providing the Bayern defence with ample protection.
Kingsley Coman is likely to return to the playing XI on the right wing, with Sadio Mane bringing up the other flank. Thomas Muller could displace Jamal Musiala from the number 10 role with an in-form Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting continuing his run up front.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1):ย Ulreich; Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Coman, Muller, Mane; Choupo-Moting
Mainz
Mainz have injury concerns of their own and will be without Maxim Leitsch, who is ruled out indefinitely with exhaustion, whereas Marlon Mustapha is dealing with a thigh injury.
Danny da Costa is unwell and was unable to train in midweek. It is unlikely that Bo Svensson will risk him on Saturday. It is not all bad news as skipper Silvan Widmer returned to the bench last weekend against Koln and could make the cut to start on Saturday.
Mainz are likely to set up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with the wing-backs providing the depth. This also gives them the flexibility to drop to a 5-4-1 should the situation demand it. Despite their recent good form against Bayern, the Allianz Arena is not an easy place to go to, especially with the Bavarians in such good form.
๐ฃ๏ธ Bo Svensson: "We want to show what we can do against one of the best teams in the world. Of the 34 games in a season, Bayern away is the hardest."#Mainz05 #FCBM05 pic.twitter.com/KbFDIuPBAW
— Mainz 05 English (@Mainz05en) October 27, 2022
Robin Zentner will start in goal behind the back three of Edimilson Fernandes, Alexander Hack and Anthony Caci. Silvan Widmer will start as the right wing-back, with Aaron Martin Caricol on the other flank. Anton Stach and Dominik Kohr will hold the fort in midfield, and a lot could depend on how well they shackle the Bayern double pivot.
Marcus Ingvartsen and Jonathan Burkardt will act as dual playmakers and will be responsible for crafting opportunities for Karim Onisiwo. The Bayern defence does go to sleep at times and the onus will be on Mainz to take advantage of such a situation.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1):ย Zentner; Fernandes, Hack, Caci; Widmer, Kohr, Stach, Martin; Ingvartsen, Burkardt; Onisiwo
Key Stats
- Mainz have taken six points from their last three Bundesliga games against Bayern Munich, more than any other side in the same period apart from Augsburg.ย Bayern Munich have failed to find the back of the net once in their last 32 games against Mainz in the Bundesliga.
- Bayern Munich have scored 2.75 goals per game at home against Mainz in the Bundesliga. This is more than any other team in the top flight.
- Bayern Munich and Mainz are two of three Bundesliga sides who go into Matchday 12 on a two-match winning run.
- Mainz have garnered 18 points from their first 11 games this season. It is the club’s best start to a Bundesliga campaign since 2010/11.
- With 12 points from six games, Mainz are the team with the best away record in the Bundesliga this season.
Player to Watch
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
The 33-year-old has stepped up massively for Bayern Munich and has made himself nigh on indispensable on his current form. Choupo-Moting has five goals and two assists in his last four games across all competitions for Bayern Munich.
While Sadio Mane has impressed, he has admittedly been less prolific than the Cameroonian in the box. Hence, deploying the former Liverpool man on the left and Choupo-Moting upfront is Bayern’s best bet at the moment. Given his clinical streak and the number of opportunities that Bayern craft, there is every reason to believe that he will continue his purple patch on the night.ย
Prediction
Bayern Munich 3-0 FSV Mainz
Despite Mainz enjoying a good start to the season, Bayern have rediscovered their mojo and have been in sensational form in the last few weeks. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting’s purple patch has added an outlet of goals that was missing since Robert Lewandowski’s exit and provides Julian Nagelsmann and co. with the cutting edge they badly needed upfront.
Playing in front of their home fans with an opportunity to go top of the standings on the line, Bayern Munich will be expected to turn up and secure all three points. While Mainz could cause some trouble early on, Die Rotenย should romp home to a comfortable 3-0 win.
