Bayern's birthday boy confident ahead of Mainz

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Munich - FC Bayern Munich are looking to pick up where they left off prior to the international break as they host 1. FSV Mainz 05 on a freshly-laid Allianz Arena pitch on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 15:30 CEST).

"No reason not to win"

"Mainz are a very, very good team," said centre-back , who, despite only joining the Bavarians from Borussia Mönchengladbach over the summer, is well aware of their troubles against Thomas Tuchel's side in recent encounters.

"There have been problems with them in the past," the Brazilian continued, "but we just need to be on our guard. We know the way they like to play: modern football, getting forward quickly and with lots of pressing." Indeed, the 28-year-old appears to have been in Munich long enough to have picked up the sense of self-belief running through the side: "We just need to play our best, then there'll be no surprises."

While team-mate , who turned 23 on Thursday, admitted that Mainz had been an "uncomfortable" opponent in recent years - they have won two and drawn one of the last four meetings - the midfielder was bullish about Bayern's chances. "The last time we played [a goalless draw on Matchday 31 of 2011/12] we were all a bit deflated as it was the first game after we'd lost to Dortmund, but now there is no reason why we shouldn't win at home."

Injuries take their toll


That may not be strictly true, with Mario Gomez, Arjen Robben, David Alaba, Diego Contento and Rafinha all likely to miss out through injury. Yet not even such a long list of personnel worries is enough to shake Müller's confidence: "At Bayern there's always someone who can take your place so that the team doesn't suffer."

The visitors have a couple of significant absentees of their own, with new signing Ivan Klasnic staying at home with a torn calf muscle and midfielder Eugen Polanski missing out with knee trouble. That could lead to making his club debut after missing the season start due to international commitments with Australia. Mainz have collected just a solitary point thus far, but given their record here, they will not be intimidated by the Bavarian bravado.


Possible line-ups:

Bayern: Neuer - Boateng, Badstuber, Dante, Lahm - Schweinsteiger, Gustavo - Müller, Kroos, Ribery - Mandzukic

Mainz: Wetklo - Bungert, Kirchhoff, Noveski, M. Caligiuri - Baumgartlinger, Soto - N. Müller, Ivanschitz, Choup-Moting - Szalai


Jon Stockitt reporting from Säbener Straße

All 18 Bundesliga clubs and their shirt sponsors will be supporting the "Geh' Deinen Weg" (Go Your Way) campaign to promote multi-racial integration in Germany throughout Matchday 3.