Bayern Munich travel to Mainz looking for third consecutive win

Bayern Munich will be hoping to clinch their second win of the week and third in a row when they face FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday.

It has been a good week for Niko Kovac as Bayern Munich have returned to their winning ways after the international break. Coming off a 2-0 victory over AEK Athens midweek, Bayern gear up for a trip to Opel Arena to face Mainz on Saturday.

Bayern moved back into the Bundesliga top four after a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg last weekend. The defending champions still trail the league leaders by four points. Kovac’s men face Borussia Dortmund at the start of next month, so winning the next two Bundesliga matches will be crucial for Bayern. Kovac will be hoping for a much more convincing performance from his men over the weekend.

Mainz are also desperate for a victory after a series of poor performances in the Bundesliga. The hosts suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat against Borussia Monchengladbach last weekend. They are currently sitting on 12th position, four points away from relegation places.  A positive result against Bayern Munich can kickstart their season.

Team News

Franck Ribery trained individually on Thursday after missing the game against AEK Athens due to back issues. Niko Kovac confirmed in his pre-match press conference that the Frenchman will be involved against Mainz. David Alaba was not risked on Tuesday, but he is completely fit to play on Saturday as well.

Arjen Robben is set to miss this game due to suspension. The Dutchman received a red card against Wolfsburg last weekend. There are no fresh injury concerns for Bayern Munich. Corentin Tolisso and Kinsgley Coman are the only long-term absentees for the defending champions.

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Predicted XI

Niko Kovac has stuck with his rotational policy, but did field a largely unchanged lineup in each of his last two matches. Manuel Neuer has remained a constant in Kovac’s lineup, and that is unlikely to change on Saturday.

There has been a constant rotation between Jerome Boateng and Mats Hummels in central defense. Boateng is likely to get the nod for this game, and he will pair up with Niklas Sule in defense. David Alaba and Joshua Kimmich will slot in the left-back and right-back positions respectively.

Kovac praised Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara for their performances on Tuesday.  Thiago is likely to play the deeper role in the midfield against Mainz, while Leon Goretzka will replace Martinez in midfield and play the role of box-to-box midfielder. James Rodriguez will complete the midfield trio by slotting in the attacking midfield position.

Robert Lewandowski has struck form at the right time. Kovac will continue with the Polish striker against Mainz as they desperately need the win. Serge Gnabry was impressive in Athens so he will play on the left flank, while Ribery is likely to come off the bench. Thomas Muller will get his first start after the international break, replacing Robben on the right side of the attack.

"NeuerKimmich-Sule-Boateng-AlabaJames-Thiago-GoretzkaMuller-Lewandowski-Gnabry"

Opposition Focus

The home side have won only two games this season, but both of these victories have been at Opel Arena. Bayern Munich have been pretty stale in possession and shaky in defense, so Mainz will have to be more efficient in the final third to get a positive result tomorrow.

Mainz have struggled in front of the goal this season, though, after selling Yushonori Muto to Newcastle in the summer. The home side have scored only four goals in the Bundesliga this season. Anthony Ujah has scored two of these goals, and he is likely to be their main goal threat on Saturday. Jean-Philippe Mateta and Moussa Niakate are the other attacking players who can cause Bayern some problems.

Prediction

Mainz 0-3 Bayern Munich

Mainz have been unbeaten at home this season, but their form lately has been pretty poor. Bayern, meanwhile, are still under criticism after failing to truly impress in their past two matches, but I expect them to turn up on Saturday and deliver a clinical performance.