Mainz and FC Koln will be looking to snap out of recent slumps when they meet in a Friday night Bundesliga fixture. Mainz have struggled at home this season and with Koln also unconvincing on their travels, both teams could be set to cancel each other out.
Mainz are attempting to get their campaign back on track following a difficult start to the season. They are currently on a three-match unbeaten run and are up to 11th on the table, just one point off the top six.
Bo Svensson’s men claimed a 2-0 victory at Werder Bremen in their previous Bundesliga fixture with Marcus Ingvartsen and Lee Jae Sung getting the goals. They followed that up with a 3-0 victory over lower league side Lubek in a midweek DFB Pokal outing with Ingvartsen once again on target.
Despite their improvements in recent weeks, Mainz are still seeking their first home win of the season. They have drawn three and suffered one defeat from four matches at Mewa Arena this term.
Koln have also been unconvincing this season and are only one point above Mainz on the Bundesliga standings. They are seeking an upturn in fortunes having suffered three defeats in their last four matches across all competitions.
The visitors will have something to build on as they head to Mainz after claiming a 3-2 victory over Augsburg last time out in the Bundesliga. Steffen Tigges netted a brace while Denis Huseinbasic was also on target.
Aside from a leaky defence, one thing that has troubled Koln this season is a poor record on their travels. Steffen Baumgart’s men have lost their last five away matches across all competitions, losing the last two fixtures in that run.
How the bookies view it
Mainz have the upper hand among the bookies and are priced at 6/5 by bet365 to claim the win. A victory for FC Koln is backed at 23/10 by BoyleSports while a draw is set at odds of 5/2 by William Hill.
Head to head
Mainz have a 13-12 advantage with nine draws from 34 previous matches against FC Koln. Koln were unbeaten in this fixture last season, playing out a 1-1 draw in the first meeting at Mewa Arena before claiming a 3-2 victory in the reverse fixture at home.
Players to watch
Marcus Ingvartsen has been in good form for Mainz lately, scoring in his last three matches across all competitions. The attacker could be backed to score anytime at 14/5 with William Hill.
Steffen Tigges is coming off a brace last time out against Augsburg and will be the one to watch on Friday. The forward now has three goals this season and is tipped to find the net once again at 10/3 with bet365.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were over 3.5 goals in the last meeting between Mainz and FC Koln and a repeat could be on the cards at 85/40 by BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals can also be considered at 4/5 with bet365.
There were goals after the break for both teams in their previous meeting and a similar outcome is priced at 2/1 by William Hill. The second half could also be tipped to produce the most goals at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
This German Bundesliga match between Mainz and FC Koln will be played on Oct 21, 2022 and kick off at 19:30. Check below for our tipsters best Mainz vs FC Koln prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
