Bayern Munich will welcome Mainz to Allianz this Saturday for the 12th Round fixture of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season.
Venue: Allianz Arena (Munich)
Key Statistics
Bayern Munich are unbeaten in their last eight games (W7, D1).
They have kept seven clean sheets in their last ten games.
The hosts have scored more top-flight goals per game against Mainz (2.75) than any other current Bundesliga side.
Mainz have not conceded a goal in their last three league games.
They have the joint fourth-best defensive record in the league, having conceded 13 goals this season.
Head to head
Mainz have lost on their last five Bundesliga visits to Munich, and have only come away with a positive result on four occasions (W2, D2, L12).
Latest performances in all competitions
Bayern Munich: W-W-W-W-W
Mainz: W-W-W-D-L A
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich will look to go top of the Bundesliga table when they welcome Mainz to Allianz Arena on Saturday.
The hosts cut the gap between them and surprise Bundesliga leaders Union Berlin to one point with a 2-0 win over Hoffenheim last weekend.
They then followed up that win with a routine 3-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League last Wednesday, taking their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight games (W7, D1).
The result also means that since squandering a two-goal lead away to Borussia Dortmund three weekends ago, the Bavarians have racked up five successive wins in all competitions to reassert their dominance.
Julian Nagelsmann’s side will now hope to make it six consecutive wins and take advantage of the one-day gap between their game and Union Berlin’s fixture.
Having scored more league goals per game (2.75) against Mainz than any other side, they will fancy their chances of taking the top spot.
Possible Bayern Munich starting line-up
Sven Ulreich; Benjamin Pavard, Dayot Upamecano, Matthijs de Ligt, Alphonso Davies; Joshua Kimmich, Marcel Sabitzer; Jamal Musiala, Serge Gnabry, Thomas Muller, Sadio Mane.
Injured: Bouna Sarr, Leroy Sané, Lucas Hernández
Doubtful: Manuel Neuer
Suspended: None
Mainz
Meanwhile, Mainz will look to make it four wins in four games when they travel to Munich on Saturday.
The visitors earned their third successive victory in all competitions with a thumping 5-0 win at home against FC Koln last time out.
Marcus Ingvartsen’s penalty broke the deadlock after only eleven minutes before Lucas Kilian’s dismissal for a second bookable offence before 30 minutes left the visitors with a mountain to climb being one goal and one man down. Bo Svensson’s side capitalised on their numerical advantage to score a further four with five different goalscorers getting themselves on the scoresheet.
They will hope to show how much they have improved when they face a Bayern side that they have found difficult to beat often. Given their defensive solidity in recent games, they can back themselves to produce a great performance.
The visitors have not conceded a goal in their last three outings and so should travel to the Allianz Arena with a renewed sense of optimism that they can cut the gap between them and their much-decorated hosts to a point.
Possible Mainz starting line-up
Robin Zentner; Stefan Bell, Alexander Hack, Moussa Niakhate; Silvan Widmer, Leandro Barreiro, Anton Stach, Jae-Sung Lee, Aaron Caricol; Jonathan Burkardt, Karim Onisiwo
Injured: Maxim Leitsch, Suliman Mustapha
Doubtful: Delano Burgzorg
Suspended: None
Prediction
Bayern Munich 2-1 Mainz
