It’s top versus bottom as Mainz’s new coach faces a baptism by fire when he takes his side to Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich in a matchday 14 fixture on Sunday. This match at the Allianz Arena between the Bavarians and the 18th-placed 05ers comes with our prediction of Bayern Munich -2 European Handicap.
Bayern’s 37 points (W12, D1) give them an eight-point lead over Leipzig ahead of this round. Mainz have six points (W1, D3, L9) and are six points behind the safety zone.
A 3-1 win at home against Sporting in the midweek Champions League fixture was the fourth in a row in all competitions. They are in brilliant form in the league too, dropping points in just one game all season long.
The Bavarians won 5-0 at Stuttgart last weekend and have won all seven home league games this season. With the hosts scoring at least three goals in six of those seven wins, they look set for a big win.
Mainz drew 1-1 away at Lech Poznan to stop a three-game losing streak in all competitions. They are still winless in six competitive games (D2, L4), throwing concerns over their form.
The 05ers lost 1-0 at home to Monchengladbach last weekend, and they have now been beaten in seven of their last nine Bundesliga games. That included four defeats on the road.
