Confirmed: Bayern Munich will face Mainz 05 away in the DFB Pokal Last 16

The draw for the final 16 teams of the DFB Pokal has been concluded, and it’s official — Bayern Munich will face Mainz 05 away in the Round of 16. Drawing a Bundesliga club was all but unavoidable at this stage of the tournament (even though there are a few lower division clubs still left) but getting a third consecutive away game is very unlucky for Julian Nagelsmann and his men.

Here is a confirmation of all the fixtures:

With the World Cup taking place mid-season, going deep into the later rounds DFB Pokal will be especially difficult for Bayern this year. While most players will be away from football and resting their legs, Bayern stars will be playing relentlessly for their country in the searing heat of Qatari stadiums. Injuries are a major concern, as is fatigue from the fixture congestion. Julian Nagelsmann will find this season’s Ruckrunde far more challenging than the last.

Mainz are in good form this year, currently sitting at 6th place in the Bundesliga table, only a single point below Borussia Dortmund. They have yet to face Bayern in the league so we don’t know how these two squads stack up to each other, but most will still consider the Bavarians to be the favourites for the tie. However, recent games against Mainz away have ended in defeat, which isn’t a good sign for the Bavarians.

Making it far into cup competitions is one of Nagelsmann’s mandates for this year, so even though the Pokal isn’t as prestigious as the Champions League, he is still expected to deliver on that front. Bayern want to make it to the final in Berlin, so Mainz is the next obstacle that the team must overcome.