New Mainz 05 boss Urs Fischer is set for a baptism of fire on his first game in charge, as he takes his team to the Allianz Arena to take on a relentless Bayern Munich side.

Vincent Kompany will have been pleased with his side’s performances of late, especially in the manner in which they have bounced back from the defeat to Arsenal. The loss at the Emirates was their first of the season across all competitions, as the Bavarians have since stitched together a four-game winning run.

A midweek victory over Sporting CP on home soil ensured Bayern Munich kept hold of second spot in the Champions League below Arsenal. Despite going behind through a Joshua Kimmich own goal nine minutes into the second half, Serge Gnabry, Lennart Karl, and Jonathan Tah ensured Kompany’s men collected the points.

Back in the Bundesliga, last weekend, Bayern Munich dispatched Stuttgart with a 5-0 scoreline away from home, with the hosts going a man down. Their relentless run and unbeaten start to the season in the league have ensured the Bavarians have a stable eight-point advantage over second-placed RB Leipzig, which makes it another campaign where they are on course to collect yet another Bundesliga title next May.

There’s hardly a fixture as difficult in the Bundesliga as travelling to the Allianz Arena to take on Bayern Munich. New Mainz 05 boss Urs Fischer is set for a baptism of fire in his first game in charge of the club and tasked with the mission to take the club out of the relegation zone.

Having endured nine defeats from their 13 games in the league, it was no surprise that Bo Henriksen was shown the door. They chose to appoint Fischer, the former Union Berlin boss, for his experience in the position that Mainz find themselves in.

As things stand, Mainz are the basement club of the Bundesliga, some six points away from safety. Fischer could be excused if he cannot get a positive result away at the Allianz Arena, as the games beyond that are where he will be judged for, as the Mainz fans could be in for a long season ahead.

Team News & Tactics

Bayern Munich

Kompany will have to make do without key attacker Luis Diaz, who will miss one game after accumulating too many yellow cards. The Colombian has missed a few games recently, first for being suspended in the Champions League and now this one against Mainz.

The Bayern Munich man should have enough options to cover for the attacker, as Serge Gnabry will feature on the left in his place. On the injury front, Jamal Musiala continued his recovery from a broken calf bone and is widely expected to return in early January. Defender Sacha Boey is a significant doubt for the weekend as he has an unspecified injury to deal with.

Overall, Kompany will be able to name a strong lineup, although this game might come too soon for Alphonso Davies to start. The Canadian made his long-awaited return to action in midweek, as Tom Bischof should start at left-back with Davies as an option off the bench. Jonathan Tah and Dayot Upamecano are the preferred stars in central defence, with Konrad Laimer keeping his place at right-back.

There might not be many changes to the Bayern Munich setup, with Aleksandar Pavlovic and Joshua Kimmich in midfield, while Lennart Karl, Michael Olise and Harry Kane set to complete the attacking setup.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1) – Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Bischof; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Karl, Gnabry; Kane

FSV Mainz 05

Meanwhile, Fischer has a long list of inuurred players to deal with ahead of his first game in charge of Mainz. Among those is defender Anthony Caci, who is out with a thigh injury, while Maxim Dal misses out with a knee issue. Phillipp Mwene is a doubt for Mainz, while keeper Robin Zentner is still a doubt after missing out the last three oputings for the club.

The problems compund further as midfielders Dominik Kohr and Paul Nebel are suspended due to picking up red cards. Hence, Fischer’s first ever team selection will be interesting, as he could go with a back three of Danny da Costa, Andeas Hanche-Olsen and Leitsch.

The idea would then see Fischer prefer a five man midfield setup, with Nikolas Beratschnig and Silvan Widmer in the wing back roles. Centrally, Kaishu Sano will sit at the base, with Lee Jae-Sung and Sota Kawasaki on either side. Up front, Benedict Hollerbach and Nelson Weiper will be the main men to lead the line for Mainz.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2) – Batz; Costa, Hanche-Olsen, Leitsch; Widmer, Kawasaki, Sano, Jae-Sung, Veratschnig; Hollerbach, Weiper

Key Stats

• Bayern Munich have scored at least 2 goals in their last 21 matches in the Bundesliga.
• Bayern Munich are unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season.
• Mainz have won just once all season in the Bundesliga.
• Mainz are winless in their last 9 games in the Bundesliga.

Player to Watch

Michael Olise

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There’s more focus on the French winger amid some links with a move away from Bayern Munich in the future. Olise has been sensational since his big move from Crystal Palace last year, as he continues to showcase why he’s one of the best in his position.

Irrespective of the transfer chatter in the media, Olise remains focused on helping Bayern win major honours this season. For that, he will want the consistency in his game to keep flowing, as the Frenchman will target a big performance against the basement side of the Bundesliga.

Prediction

Bayern Munich 4-0 FSV Mainz 05

Mainz are the clear underdogs in this clash, as they enter the Allianz Arena without a win in their last nine Bundesliga games. Given that this is also Fischer’s first game in charge of the team, there will be some elements that he might struggle to deal with against a formidable opponent like Bayern Munich.

Kompany’s men have already put aside that loss to Arsenal in the Champions League, as they have resumed their relentless form across all competitions. The upcoming clash with Mainz will be seen as an easy victory for Bayern, as there might be a one-sided goals galore in this clash on Sunday.