Bayern's Ribery targets 4 wins, starting at Mainz

26 November 2011 18:46

With Bayern Munich under pressure to beat strugglers Mainz on Sunday to regain top spot in the German league, France star Franck Ribery says the Bavarians aim to take 12 points from their next four league games.

Both defending champions Dortmund and Moenchengladbach over-took Bayern in the league with respective wins over Schalke and Cologne this weekend to leave Munich third in the table and a point behind their rivals.

After Bayern lost 1-0 at home to Dortmund last weekend, Ribery says the plan is for the Bavarian giants to win at Mainz to regain the league's top spot, then see off Werder Bremen, Stuttgart and Cologne in the next few weeks.

"Ideally, we have to win all four remaining matches in the Bundesliga before the winter break," said Ribery.

Coach Jupp Heynckes expects a tough battle at Mainz, who are third from bottom in the Bundesliga and will offer some resistance at the Coface Arena.

"We shouldn't just be trying to play good football, we should be prepared to go there and battle," Heynckes said.

"We must be prepared for Mainz to go to the limit and beyond, giving it 110 percent.

"Mainz are a much better team than their league position suggests. They've been very unlucky to lose on a number of occasions.

"We know we'll need a first-class performance if we?re to come away with the points."

Mainz have not played for three weeks following the international break and then last week's match at Cologne was cancelled after referee Babak Rafati's attempted suicide.

Bayern are without Bastian Schweinsteiger, who continues to recover from his broken collarbone, while Ukrainian midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk is suspended.

Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel is without suspended midfielder Eugen Polanski while both defender Nikolce Noveski, hamstring, and Jan Kirchhoff, knee, are struggling with injuries.

Source: AFP