“We’re still within striking distance (of Bayern) and want to keep attacking,” said Leipzig coach Nagelsmann.
Mainz are second-from-bottom and winless in their last nine games but gave Bayern a huge scare three weeks ago, taking a two-goal lead before losing 5-2 at Munich’s Allianz Arena.
However, Nagelsmann says his team were “incredibly mature” on Wednesday against the stubborn defence of Union Berlin, which eventually cracked in Leipzig’s 1-0 home win.
Ten minutes into his cameo appearance on Wednesday, Emil Forsberg combined with Dani Olmo to unpick the Union defence with great footwork.
Nagelsmann dubbed the pair “phonebox kickers” for the close-quarters skills which led to Forsberg’s winning goal, and the Swede could feature at the weekend.