Bundesliga
Bayern Munich resume their pursuit of a first DFB Cup trophy since 2019/20 when they travel to Bundesliga rivals Mainz in the second round on Wednesday (kick-off: 8.45pm CET).
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Mainz's biggest problem this season has been consistency. Since beating 3. Liga's Wehen Wiesbaden 3-1 after extra-time in the DFB Cup first round, the 05ers have won two, drawn three and lost three in the Bundesliga. They took the lead at home to Borussia Mönchengladbach on Friday, only to concede a Tim Kleindienst equaliser soon after. But for some brilliant goalkeeping from Robin Zentner, the result could have been far worse. More concerning for head coach Bo Henriksson, though, was the sight of six-goal top scorer Jonathan Burkardt being forced off with a muscular problem. The striker was recently rewarded for his fine domestic from with his first senior Germany caps but is now set for another spell on the sidelines following a number of injury setbacks down the years. Bayern-owned Armindo Sieb - who was his replacement on Friday - could come in to start. Nelson Weiper is another option in attack, while the likes of Danny da Costa and Stefan Bell could be cycled in to the defence, especially if Dominik Kohr is moved forward in the event of Nadiem Amiri not overcoming an ankle issue in time.
Bayern head to Mainz buoyed by a comfortable 5-0 win at lowly Bochum. England's Harry Kane scored his 15th competitive goal of the campaign as the record champions bounced back from a chastening UEFA Champions League loss to Barcelona, retaking their place at the top of the Bundesliga on goal difference in the process. It was their eighth win in 12 games under head coach Vincent Kompany - a run that began with a 4-0 victory over Bundesliga 2's Ulm in the cup. The Belgian welcomed back Jamal Musiala to the starting XI from hip issue for the Bochum game, with Thomas Müller sacrificed in the No.10 role. The young playmaker's minutes may be managed given the packed calendar. There could also be a first start of the season for Leroy Sané, who also scored on Sunday. Aleksandar Pavlović is definitely out with a dislocated shoulder.
Watch: Bayern too good for Bochum
Match stats
Probable teams
Mainz: Zentner - Caci, Jenz, Leitsch - Widmer (c), Sano, Kohr, Mwene - Nebel, Lee - Weiper
Out: Burkardt (muscular), Hanche-Olsen (broken toe)
Doubtful: Amiri (ankle), Onisiwo (thigh), Veratschnig (muscular)
Coach: Bo Henriksen
Bayern: Neuer (c) - Laimer, Upamecano, Dier, Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka - Sané, Müller, Tel - Kane
Out: Boey (knee), Pavlović (collarbone), Stanišić (knee)
Doubtful: Ito (foot)
Coach: Vincent Kompany
LIVE blog!
Vincent Kompany's side responded to their midweek loss in Europe with a resounding victory over Bochum.
Last season saw Bayern do the league double over Mainz with an aggregate score of 11-2, while the last time these two met in the cup also saw Bayern emerge with the win (4-0). The last time Mainz got the better of Bayern was in the Bundesliga 2022/23 season, when they won 3-1 at home on Matchday 29.
Despite a disheartening 4-1 loss to Barcelona in the Champions League, Bayern's last two league games have seen them score nine goals unanswered against Stuttgart (4-0) and Bochum (5-0).
Mainz have won, drawn and lost in their last three games, making this fixture all the more unpredictable. Bo Henriksen's side have shown promise going forward and performed well in a recent loss to Leipzig, but have still struggled with consistency and come into this DFB Cup tie on the back of a 1-1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Mainz needed extra-time to see off 3. Liga's Wehen Wiesbaden in the first round (3-1). Bayern had no such troubles against Bundesliga 2's Ulm, the record winners triumphing 4-0 on the road.
Thanks for joining us for build-up and live coverage of Wednesday's DFB Cup second-round tie between Mainz and Bayern Munich at the Mewa Arena.