Bundesliga Matchday 29: Leaders Bayern meet Mainz

Sean Wilson
LiveScore
Bayern Munich ace Jamal Musiala has scored in both league and cup clashes with Mainz this season
Bayern Munich ace Jamal Musiala has scored in both league and cup clashes with Mainz this season

Bayern Munich's slip-up last weekend went unpunished but they need to avoid dropping more points against Mainz on Saturday. 

Borussia Dortmund will be kicking themselves for failing to draw level with the Bundesliga leaders and must keep the pressure on with victory over Eintracht Frankfurt. 

RB Leipzig's Champions League qualification is by no means guaranteed, with in-form Bayer Leverkusen set to provide a tough test this weekend. Chasers Freiburg certainly have an easier fixture on paper, against relegation-threatened Schalke. 

Union Berlin — having had one eye on a surprise title tilt — must now turn their attention towards staying in the top four, as they take on Borussia Monchengladbach.

Game of the weekend: Mainz vs Bayern Munich (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Bayern Munich can make amends for crashing out of the Champions League against Manchester City in midweek by overcoming Mainz and boosting their title bid. 

This clash sees two of the league's three most in-form teams in the second half of the season meet. Mainz's 22 points sees them rank third in that timeframe, just behind Bayern's 23-point haul. 

FCB boss Thomas Tuchel will be keen to get one over his former side, having taken charge of a club-record 170 Bundesliga games with Die Nullfunfer — current manager Bo Svensson made 100 appearances as a player in all competitions for the club under the German tactician. 

There should be goals in this one, as Mainz (14 games) and Bayern (21 games) boast the two longest active scoring streaks in the competition.

Borussia Dortmund vs Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt lost 2-1 against Borussia Dortmund in the reverse fixture despite creating better chances
Eintracht Frankfurt lost 2-1 against Borussia Dortmund in the reverse fixture despite creating better chances

Borussia Dortmund slipped to a 3-3 draw with Stuttgart last time out, missing the chance to move level on points with Bayern Munich in the process. 

They will be eager to compensate for that slip-up by claiming maximum points against next opponents Eintracht Frankfurt — who Die Borussen have a habit of beating. 

BVB have claimed more Bundesliga wins against Frankfurt than any other side (48), winning 10 of the last 11 home meetings and scoring in each of the previous 26 clashes on their own patch. 

Dortmund have dropped a league-high five points from two-goal leads, while Frankfurt have the second-best record from losing positions (12) — so the visitors may fancy their chances of coming from behind, even if the hosts take an early advantage.

Bayer Leverkusen vs RB Leipzig (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Timo Werner has scored nine Bundesliga goals this season — taking him to 100 overall in his career
Timo Werner has scored nine Bundesliga goals this season — taking him to 100 overall in his career

Resurgent RB Leipzig's next opponents are Bayer Leverkusen, who have not lost any of their last 12 outings in all competitions and advanced to the semi-finals of the Europa League in emphatic fashion, beating Union Saint-Gilloise 5-2 on aggregate after a 4-1 second-leg triumph. 

However, Die Werkself have never beaten Leipzig at home (three draws, three defeats) and average fewer points against them per game (0.77) than against any other side. 

Leverkusen pose little aerial threat, scoring the second-lowest number of headers in the league this season (four) and look unlikely to add to that tally against Leipzig, who have conceded the second-fewest such goals in the competition (four). 

Timo Werner's brace against Augsburg last time out took him to 100 career Bundesliga strikes. He has been directly involved in 12 league goals this term but only one of those has come on the road.

Freiburg vs Schalke (Sunday, 2.30pm)

Freiburg go into Matchday 29 just one point off a Champions League qualification place and will hope to pile pressure on the teams above them by beating Schalke. 

The Breisgau Brazilians boast a sensational record against Sunday's visitors, beating them more often than any other opponent in the Bundesliga (18), going unbeaten in the last seven meetings (five wins, two draws) and not conceding in any of the previous four. 

Freiburg's impressive home league record — losing just one of their last 13 games at the Europa-Park Stadion (eight wins, four draws) — stands in stark contrast to Schalke's appalling away performances this season. They have registered just one win, five draws and suffered seven defeats in their previous 13 attempts.

In fact, Die Knappen have been in the lead for only 45 minutes on the road in the Bundesliga this term — a league low — while Christian Streich's hosts have trailed for only 413 minutes, the division's second-best record.

Borussia Monchengladbach vs Union Berlin (Sunday, 6.30pm)

Marcus Thuram will offer Borussia Monchengladbach's main goal threat
Marcus Thuram will offer Borussia Monchengladbach's main goal threat

Union Berlin's failure to win either of their last two league outings has seen them slip away from title contention, with their focus now on staying in the top four. 

The capital club have demonstrated a knack for battling back from losing positions, earning 12 points by doing so — only FC Cologne can better that tally (13). Upcoming opponents Borussia Monchengladbach, meanwhile, have dropped the second-most points from winning positions (16). 

In addition to demonstrating greater mental fortitude than Die Fohlen, Union have also showcased a superior work-rate — covering the second-most ground in the division (118.3km), while BMG's total of 112.6km ranks second-last. 

However, Monchengladbach boast soon-to-be free agent Marcus Thuram, who equalled his personal best record of goal involvements in the Bundesliga last time out (18 — 13 goals, five assists), taking him to a total of 49 in the competition for his club.

The weekend's other games

Augsburg vs Stuttgart (Friday, 7.30pm)

Hertha Berlin vs Werder Bremen (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Hoffenheim vs FC Cologne (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Bochum vs Wolfsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm)

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Tags

BundesligaMainz 05Bayern MunichBorussia DortmundEintracht FrankfurtBayer LeverkusenRB LeipzigFreiburgSchalke 04Borussia MoenchengladbachUnion Berlin