Bayern's task at Wolfsburg: Take Mainz momentum and 'get three points again'

FC Bayern contest the final fixture of Matchday 19 on Sunday evening with an away encounter against VfL Wolfsburg (live text and free Web Radio commentary from 17:30 CET on fcbayern.com and in the FC Bayern app). Their rivals in what is currently an extremely tight battle at the top kept up the pressure on Saturday - read our preview to find out what that means for the Munich men.

The best photos from the final training session on Saturday:

The situation for Bayern

The 4-0 win at 1. FSV Mainz 05 in midweek not only saw Bayern through to the DFB Cup quarter-finals, but also gave them a confidence boost for the challenges ahead. "The aggression that we showed going forward in the first half was close to how we were playing before Christmas. Now we want to get three points again in the Bundesliga," said Julian Nagelsmann, who saw the "appetite for winning" back in his players.

If the Bavarians win at Wolfsburg, they'll double their points tally for the new year following three consecutive 1-1 draws. Victory is also required to remain top of the Bundesliga after Matchday 19 - rivals 1. FC Union Berlin (39 points) have moved above the German record champions (37) for now thanks to a 2-1 victory over Mainz on Saturday, while Borussia Dortmund are level on points with FCB after thrashing SC Freiburg 5-1. However, the 35-year-old coach is not feeling pressure as a result of the situation. "We have the best squad in the Bundesliga. We should always be capable of winning, it gives you a good feeling," Nagelsmann said in Friday's press conference.

Watch Julian Nagelsmann's press conference in full:

The opponents: VfL Wolfsburg

While Bayern enjoyed success in the cup, Wolfsburg were eliminated from the competition in a 2-1 defeat at Union Berlin. After the 2-1 loss at Werder Bremen, it meant back-to-back defeats for VfL in the space of four days after they'd won six league games on the spin and made a flying start to 2023 with 6-0 and 5-0 victories over Freiburg and Hertha BSC respectively. "The last two games were actually even, which is why it's frustrating that we lost twice," commented coach Niko Kovač. The Wolves will now be counting on their strength at home to get back on track against Bayern. "We're playing at home, where we've collected 13 points from our last five matches. That should give us the confidence you need against Bayern Munich," added the ex-FCB boss.

The key facts on the clash with the Wolves:

The team news for FC Bayern vs. VfL Wolfsburg

Josip Stanišić is in danger of missing the trip to Lower Saxony: the full-back has "problems in the tendon in his ankle" according to Nagelsmann. Long-term absentees Sadio Mané, Lucas Hernández, Noussair Mazraoui and Manuel Neuer will definitely be absent. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (stomach bug) and Dayot Upamecano (problems in adductor and toe area) have been nursing knocks this week, but their coach expects them to be fit in time. Ryan Gravenberch is "in pain" after taking a knock to the knee in the Mainz match, and it's uncertain whether the Dutchman will be able to play, said Nagelsmann.

Noussair Mazraoui began individual training on Friday:

For the hosts, goalkeeper Koen Casteels (cold) and striker Lukas Nmecha (patellar tendon rupture) have returned to full training. That means "everyone's available" for the meeting with Bayern, according to Kovač.

What the coaches say