Bayern Munich will look to retain the top spot in the Bundesliga with a win when they hit the road to face FSV Mainz.

Having lost their last two league outings, FSV Mainz will be eager to return to winning ways against Bayern Munich in front of their own fans. While the support will help their cause, taking down the German giants is no easy task.

The home team are 9th on the table with 10 points in their 8 outings, having won three and drawn one game so far. Mainz haven’t been in the best of form of late as they have lost three out of their last four league games and were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal by Bochum.

They are heading into this fixture on the back of a 4-1 hammering at the hands of newly promoted SV Elversberg. While they would love to cause an upset and get their season back on track, their recent form suggests this could be a long day at the office for them.

Meanwhile, the visitors are top of the table with 18 points in their eight outings with five wins and three draws. Not only are they unbeaten, but they also have the best attack and the second-best defensive record in the competition.

Bayern played out a 2-2 draw against rivals Borussia Dortmund in their last league outing, but they returned to winning ways against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. The clinical 2-0 win will give them a lot of confidence heading into this one, and they will certainly be favourites to win. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.

Team News & Tactics

FSV Mainz

The home team will be without the services of Silas Katompa Mvumpa (foot), Nelson Weiper (unspecified), Otto Ruoppi (knee), and Dominik Kohr (ankle) due to injury. Meanwhile, Stefan Posch and Phillipp Mwene are suspended.

Mainz are expected to line up in a 3-5-2 formation, with Robin Zentner starting in goal. Danny da Costa, Fabio Gruber and Kacper Potulski should form the back three, while Anthony Caci and Silvan Widmer are likely to operate as wing-backs.

Lee Jae-sung, Kaishu Sano and Nadiem Amiri are expected to form the midfield trio, with the responsibility of ensuring Bayern midfielders do not run the show.

Meanwhile, Sheraldo Becker and Phillip Tietz should lead the line as Mainz look to pose a threat in the final third.

Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Zentner; Da Costa, Gruber, Potulski; Caci, Lee, Sano, Amiri, Widmer; Tietz, Becker

Bayern Munich

Rene Maric will continue to take charge from the dugout as Vincent Kompany recovers from illness.

The visitors remain without the services of Bara Ndiaye (unspecified), Luis Diaz (hamstring) and Serge Gnabry (hamstring) due to injury. Meanwhile, Jamal Musiala (thigh) remains a doubt for this outing.

Bayern are expected to line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Manuel Neuer starting in goal. Konrad Laimer and Nathaniel Brown should occupy the full-back positions, while Dayot Upamecano is likely to partner Min-Jae Kim in central defence.

Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic are expected to form the midfield double pivot, providing defensive cover while dictating the tempo of the game.

Michael Olise and Alphonso Davies should feature on the flanks, with Lennart Karl operating in the number ten role behind Harry Kane, who will lead the line.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Kim, Brown; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Karl, Davies; Kane

Key Stats

• Mainz have found the back of the net in each of their last seven Bundesliga matches.
• The home side have lost their last three Bundesliga games at home, conceding 10 goals in the process.
• No team has conceded more penalties than Mainz, who have given away four so far this season.
• Mainz are still searching for their first home win in the Bundesliga this season.
• The Bavarian giants are unbeaten in eight away matches this season, winning five of them.

Player to Watch

Alphonso Davies

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Davies, who has played as a left-back for the majority of his Bayern Munich career, has been deployed as a winger at times this season because of an injury crisis in the final third. The 26-year-old, who grew up playing as a winger, is certainly loving the attacking role.

In his three outings as a winger, he has two goals and two assists. Overall, he has eight goal contributions in his 14 outings. Davies will most likely start as a winger once again, and given his pace and dribbling abilities, Mainz defenders could find it difficult to keep him in check.

Prediction

FSV Mainz 1-4 Bayern Munich

Mainz have shown that they can find the back of the net consistently, but their defensive problems are a major concern heading into this fixture. They have lost their last three home league games, conceding 10 goals in the process, and now face the most potent attack in the Bundesliga.

Bayern Munich, meanwhile, have been in excellent form and will be determined to maintain their unbeaten league record. Harry Kane remains a major threat in front of goal, while Alphonso Davies’ performances in an advanced role have given the visitors another attacking dimension.

Mainz could find a way onto the scoresheet, but Bayern have too much quality and firepower to drop points here. The Hard Tackle predicts a 4-1 win for the away team.