It has been a tough week for the Bundesliga as all three of its representatives in the European stage have suffered defeats. The strongest from the lineup, being league leaders Bayern Munich falling to Real Madrid with a 6:3 aggregate. The Bavarian champions will look to bounce back from a difficult week, in which they’ve failed to register a single victory and will focus on their weekend game against Mainz. A win for Carlo Ancelotti’s side will further solidify their eight points at the top. Here is the predicted lineup for FC Bayern in their weekend clash against Mainz.
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer performed incredibly well despite conceding four goals against Real Madrid in midweek but unfortunately, suffered an injury which will keep him out for the rest of the season. Backup keeper Sven Ulreich will be called into action once again.
Right Back: Philip Lahm is expected to start on the bench after a tiring week. Brazilian defender Rafinha is set to occupy his position in the Bayern defence.
Centre Back(R): Jerome Boateng had an incredibly hard time, keeping Real Madrid at bay despite not being 100% fit. He might as well feature against Mainz, as Carlo Ancelotti’s doesn’t really have any other option up his sleeves.
Center Back(L): Mats Hummels will most likely be rested for the encounter, David Alaba will deputise for the former Dortmund defender on the left side of the defence. The Austrian is fairly accustomed playing as an LCB, as he featured in that particular a lot of times this season.
Left Back: Due to Alaba’s change in position, Juan Bernat will start as the left back for Bayern. The Spanish fullback hasn’t been impressive in his last few matches for his club. A good performance against Mainz is warranted.
Central Defensive Midfielder: Renato Sanches could finally make a start in the Bayern midfield. The new signing hasn’t enjoyed much time due to the presence of Xabi Alonso but the 34-year-old will most likely be rested for this one.
Central Defensive Midfielder: Arturo Vidal’s red card was one of the talking points in the game against Real. The Chilean got penalised for an extremely well-timed tackle but hopefully won’t have such problems in the Bundesliga.
Central Midfield: Thiago Alcantara completely flopped against Real Madrid, which has been quite a rare sight this season. The 25-year-old will seek a better performance against the 05-ers on Saturday.
Right Wing: Douglas Costa will be given a chance to prove himself after a difficult 2017 so far. The Brazilian winger has been nowhere near as impressive as he was in the past under Pep Guardiola, and according to some reports, Bayern won’t have any hesitation in selling the winger if a good offer comes around.
Left Wing: Franck Ribery will feature on the other side of the flank. The Frenchman had a good game before he got substituted in the final phase of the game, which might have been a wrong decision by Carlo Ancelotti. But then again, one has to question his ability to play out all ninety minutes at the age of 34.
Striker: Robert Lewandowski was completely nullified by the opposition defence in midweek. The Polish striker will have much more freedom against Mainz though, and he is sure to make full use of his chances. He has an almost perfect record versus Mainz in the past as well.
