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Bayern Munich will once again battle to remain at the summit of the Bundesliga table, with the leaders set to travel to face Mainz 05 at Mewa Arena on Saturday.
Sitting in first place with 18 points, Bayern are eight points ahead of ninth-placed Mainz, but they are only leading the division because of Borussia Dortmund's inferior goal difference.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Mainz 05 vs Bayern Munich key stats
- Bayern Munich have scored exactly four goals in three of their last six away games against Mainz.
- Harry Kane has scored two or more goals five times for club and country this season.
- Both teams have scored in seven of Bayern Munich's last eight matches.
Mainz 05 vs Bayern Munich preview: A chance for to capitalise in the Bundesliga?
Mainz 05 vs Bayern Munich — Tale of the Tape
| Mainz 05 | vs | Bayern Munich |
|---|---|---|
| 9th | Position | 1st |
| 10 | Points | 18 |
| 17 | Goals For | 27 |
| 17 | Goals Against | 8 |
| 3 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 18th | Home / Away Rank | 2nd |
Mainz cannot think that they are exempt from the relegation battle, as while ninth place might seem distanced from the bottom three, they are only three points in front of 16th-placed Union Berlin in the relegation playoff spot.
Their most recent result was a damaging 4-1 defeat against newly-promoted Elversberg last weekend, and the fact they trailed 4-0 before netting a consolation goal in second-half stoppage time should be a major concern.
To make matters worse, the hosts have only won one of their past seven encounters with Bayern, while they were beaten five times.
Boss Urs Fischer will almost certainly use a midfield three in order to limit the space available to Bayern, and he will expect Jae-Sung Lee, Kaishu Sano and Nadiem Amiri to work tirelessly without the ball.
Bayern will be disappointed to be heading into matchweek nine without a points advantage over Dortmund, who managed to hold them to a 2-2 stalemate on October 31 at Allianz Arena.
The champions twice took the lead in that clash, and to concede an 89th-minute equaliser will be a concern, particularly as the club have looked more vulnerable at the back in recent matches.
Head coach Vincent Kompany is still recovering following a collapse earlier in October that required a brief hospital stay, and there is no suggestion that he will be in the dugout before the November international break.
Assistant Rene Maric oversaw a 2-0 victory in the Champions League on Tuesday, and that was the visitors' fourth triumph in six fixtures.
While attackers like Serge Gnabry and Luis Diaz have been ruled out, Harry Kane is fit and ready to celebrate his new contract with a goal on the weekend.
Mainz 05 vs Bayern Munich form guide & betting tips
| Mainz 05 | vs | Bayern Munich |
|---|---|---|
WLWLL |
Form | WDWWD |
| 6 | Points | 11 |
| 13th | Form Table | 1st |
| 11 | Goals For | 20 |
| 14 | Goals Against | 6 |
LWLLL |
Form (All Comps) | DWWDW |
Whispers predicts: Mainz 05 1-4 Bayern Munich
It should not come as a surprise to see the bookmakers heavily favour a Bayern Munich win at 1/3 (1.33).
Given both teams have scored in seven of Bayern Munich's last eight matches, a strong first bet would be for Both Teams to Score at 4/9 (1.44).
Bayern Munich have scored exactly four goals in three of their last six away games against Mainz, so it could make sense to back Over 3.5 Goals for Bayern Munich at 8/5 (2.6).
Harry Kane has scored two goals five times for club and country this season, and a bet of Harry Kane to Score 2+ Goals at 23/10 (3.3) would be tempting.
> Both Teams to Score at 4/9 (1.44) | Likelihood: High
> Over 3.5 Goals for Bayern Munich at 8/5 (2.6) | Likelihood: Medium
> Harry Kane to Score 2+ Goals at 23/10 (3.3) | Likelihood: Low