Mainz vs Bayern: Will die Roten clinch the title this weekend?

Topics: TV Schedules, Mainz, Bayern Munich, Bundesliga

Bayern could win the title this weekend with a win over Mainz. Live Soccer TV's match preview provides team news, match facts, and global broadcast listings for Mainz vs Bayern Munich, kicking off on Saturday, April 24th.

Preview: Mainz vs Bayern

Hosts Mainz have pretty much now secured top flight status for themselves after an amazing turnaround this campaign. At the start of the season, die Nullfunfer had lost all six of their opening games. They then went on to pick up a measly six points from their first 13, and many had predicted they'd end up featuring in the 2.Bundesliga if they couldn't turn things around.

Flash-forward to April, and Bo Svensson's men come into this game having earned 25 points from their last 16 matches. That includes four wins from their last five matches, and although they don't have the best track record against Bayern - with just one win from their last 18 games - the hosts can take comfort that they presently enjoy a five point gap over 17th-placed Cologne and 16th-placed Hertha Berlin. So even if Mainz, as expected, do lose to Bayern on Saturday, they still do have a bit of wiggle room to drop some points in this upcoming tie.

Meanwhile, Bayern will be looking to simply shut down the title race once and for all. With a ten point lead over the chasing pack, the Bavarian titans can effectively clinch their ninth straight league title with a win on Saturday afternoon. Still, it's arguably been a disappointing season for die Roten. Many teams wouldn't view winning the league title as such, but for Bayern, it's become par for the course.

They've been unable to successfully defend their position in the DFB-Pokal after suffering a rather embarrassing loss to minnows Holstein Kiel, and now will have to watch the Champions League final from home after PSG got revenge on them for losing last season's final by defeating them in the quarter-finals.

Hansi Flick has already announced this season will be his final one at the Allianz Arena, so it goes without saying he'll be looking to wrap up proceedings on a decent note. The biggest news for Bayern, of course, will be the impending return of Robert Lewandowski, who will be hoping to feature here as he aims to finally break Gerd Muller's long-standing record of 40 goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign. Lewandowski has scored 35 so far, and will need five more in Bayern's next four games to tie Muller's record.

Six will, of course, break the tally that's stood since the 1971/72 term and one can certainly bet that the German icon will be watching these next four games with anticipation to see whether his 49-year-old title will finally fall or will be able to stand for yet another campaign.

Team news: Mainz vs Bayern

Mainz: Danny da Costa will miss this game due to a personal matter, while Paul Nebel and Luca Killian are out with thigh and foot issues respectively.

Bayern: The visitors could potentially be without the services of Serge Gnabry due to a lack of match fitness as well as Niklas Süle as a result of a thigh injury. Meanwhile, Douglas Costa and Corentin Tolisso are definite absentees due to metatarsal and thigh injuries respectively, but the biggest boost is the return of Robert Lewandowski after a nearly four-week injury lay-off.