On Saturday, Mainz 05 will be looking to end a winless run of three games when they host RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga with kickoff at 5 pm.
Since Bo Svensson became Mainz manager in January 2021, Die Nullfunfer has been on an upward trajectory.
But they have entered a minor sticky patch in the past few weeks. Anthony Caci’s injury-time equaliser salvaged a 1-1 draw at home against Hertha Berlin; Mainz then lost away to Hoffenheim and Freiburg.
The 43-year-old manager will want to avoid a third defeat in four matches, especially with a six-point cushion above the relegation zone.
Leipzig’s recent league results have followed a very clear pattern: loss, win, loss, win, loss, win. It is still early days during Marco Rose’s tenure after he replaced Domenico Tedesco in the dugout last month, and the former Borussia Dortmund boss will have been pleased by his team’s two victories in the past week.
Timo Werner and Christopher Nkunku both bagged a brace in Die Roten Bullen’s 4-0 thumping of rock-bottom VfL Bochum last weekend.
This is before the Scottish Premiership champions Celtic were downed 3-1 at the Red Bull Arena on Wednesday evening as Rose’s side put their first points on the board in this season’s Champions League group stage.
FSV Mainz vs RB Leipzig Head to Head
Both sides have twelve games against each other with hosts taking three wins while visitors with seven wins. Here is a look at their previous encounters:
Home
- Freiburg 2-1 Mainz
- Mainz 2-5 Karlsruhe
- Mainz 1-1 Hertha
- Hoffenheim 4-1 Mainz
Away
- RB Leipzig 3-1 Celtic
- RB Leipzig 4-0 Bochum
- M’gladbach 3-0 RB Leipzig
- Real Madrid 2-0 RB Leipzig
FSV Mainz Team News
Svensson’s starting XI for the match against Freiburg last weekend featured Da Costa for the first time this season, with club captain Sven Widmer moving to right-center back. Leitsch and Ingvartsen were out injured and Mustapha was not fit enough to play.
RB Leipzig Team News
Goalkeeper Peter Gulasci picked up an injury during Wednesday’s match against Celtic, and Janis Blaswich will likely be called upon to fill in for him. Aside from that, Rose is unlikely to make any changes from a winning lineup, with Werner, Nkunku, Andre Silva, and Dominik Szoboszlai forming a dangerous front four.
Prediction and Odds
Mainz have not played well recently, and while Svensson is a good coach, the team may not be able to get a win at the weekend.
- Away Win
- Both Teams to Score
- Goals Under 3.5
