Bayern aiming to take momentum from Madrid to Mainz, says Danks

Aaron Danks is hoping Bayern Munich's win over Atletico Madrid can be used as momentum ahead of this weekend's trip to Mainz, going into the November international break.

Following back-to-back draws with Viking and Arsenal in Europe, Bayern returned to winning ways with a 2-0 triumph at the Estadio Metropolitano on Tuesday. 

Both goals came in the second half, with Lennart Karl's opener followed up by Konrad Laimer's thumping 74th-minute finish as Bayern capitalised on some poor Atletico defending.

After also beating Real Madrid 2-1 away in last season's quarter-finals, Bayern have won consecutive away games in Spain in major European competitions for the first time ever.

Bayern (51) became the second top-five European league side to hit 50 goals in all competitions this season after Barcelona (60), and with the defending Bundesliga champions level on points with Borussia Dortmund at the summit, Danks acknowledged the importance of their confidence-boosting result.

"We've analysed it. The most important thing is that the team spirit, the approach of the players, never giving up, fighting to the end is there. We'll take that with us," he said. 

"We'll try out a few things. There's a lot of rotation, a lot of movement, and the full-backs are involved in the attack.

"We've got plenty of players available there, which gives us options, as does our strong midfield. We'll play as normal, in our usual style, finding solutions with different players.

"Who those players are, we'll discuss that amongst the coaching staff. We'll try a few things out and then see how it goes."

Bayern will be looking to end a positive week both on and off the field on an even bigger high, after Harry Kane pledged his future to the club earlier this week. 

Kane, who recently became the first English player to win the Ballon d'Or since 2001, has put pen to paper on a new contract with Bayern, keeping him in Germany until 2029. 

Since joining from Tottenham in 2023, Kane has netted 156 times in just 161 appearances in all competitions and is already sixth in Bayern's all-time scoring charts, only behind Gerd Muller (565), Robert Lewandowski (344), Thomas Muller (250), Rainer Ohlhauser (229) and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (217).

His Ballon d'Or triumph was the first by a Bayern player since Rummenigge in 1981, and the first by any Bundesliga player since Borussia Dortmund's Matthias Sammer in 1996.

"We're really happy that the best player in the world right now has committed to Bayern," Danks said of Kane. "He feels really good here. You can also sense that.

"It's important to have a figure like him here. He's exceeded all expectations from experts. We firmly believe he can maintain his level with his attitude and personality and help us.

"If we didn't believe that, we wouldn't have extended. The truth is on the pitch. I believe he'll continue to show that in the coming years."

Mainz, meanwhile, come into the game off the back of three consecutive defeats in all competitions, the latest of which saw them trounced 4-1 by Elversberg. 

They will be without the suspended Stefan Posch and Phillipp Mwene for the visit of Bayern, too.

Posch has averaged the most passes per 90 minutes for Mainz in the Bundesliga this season (60) and has missed only one start for the club since his debut in January this year (a 0-0 draw against Paderborn on MD1).

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Mainz – Sheraldo Becker

If Mainz are to get anything out of this game, they will need Becker to be on top of his game. 

Becker leads Mainz in the Bundesliga for goal contributions (six – two goals, four assists), while his 18 chances created are only bettered by Nadiem Amiri (27). 

Bayern Munich – Harry Kane

Kane has already provided six assists in the Bundesliga this season, surpassing his total from the whole of last term (five in 31 games). 

Only Werder Bremen's Marco Grull has more assists in the league (seven).

However, the Ballon d'Or holder has failed to score in each of his last two Bundesliga appearances – he has only had a longer goal drought once in the competition (five games between February and March 2025).

MATCH PREDICTION: BAYERN MUNICH WIN

Bayern came from 3-0 down to win 4-3 on their last Bundesliga trip to Mainz, in April this year – that was one of only three matches in the club's Bundesliga history where they have overturned a three-goal deficit to win.

The Bundesliga champions are also unbeaten in their last 30 top-flight away games (W22 D8) – only once have they had a longer unbeaten run on the road, a 33-game streak between 2012 and 2014. Their last away defeat in the competition came against their upcoming opponents Mainz in December 2024 (1-2).

However, Bayern have 18 points after eight matches, their worst start to a Bundesliga season in four years; they had only 15 points at this stage in 2022-23. Last season, they started with a maximum of 24 points from their opening eight games.

Mainz, meanwhile, have lost two consecutive Bundesliga games for the first time under Urs Fischer and are winless in their last seven Bundesliga home matches (D1 L6), the longest ongoing run in the division.

Indeed, Mainz have picked up just one point at home this season (D1 L3), the joint-fewest in the league alongside last-placed Borussia Monchengladbach.

They have also conceded 17 goals in their last six Bundesliga matchdays – more than any other club in that period, having kept a clean sheet in their first two games of the season. Mainz have conceded the most goals in the opening 15 minutes (six) and the most in the first half (10) of any team in the league this season.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Mainz – 14.9%

Draw – 17.4%

Bayern Munich – 67.7%