Mainz need a late resurgence or they could end the season with empty hands after nearly making it to the Champions League for the first time in their history. In order to revive their chances, they must defeat Eintracht Frankfurt.
Mainz's debut in the CL seemed almost certain until mid-March, before their latest winless streak began. The 05ers were riding a four-match win streak and had a secure position in the Top 4, but managed to win only three points from the last six rounds. They failed even against teams from the bottom of the table and now sit right below the qualification zone, with upcoming clashes with Eintracht and Leverkusen to make things even worse.
The only positive is Eintracht's questionable away form. The Eagles won only one of their last five away games in the Bundesliga, dropping points to every team from the upper half of the table they met. But Eintracht are almost freed from pressure at this point, as they only need one more win to secure their place in the Champions League.
How the bookies view it: The 05ers to get back to winning ways?
Bookmakers expect a tight game but gave Mainz a fair betting advantage, perhaps due to the significance this game holds for their ambitions. You can pick the 05ers at 27/20, the draw at 5/2, or Eintracht Frankfurt at 19/10.
Recent head to head: Mainz picked up a rare win
Mainz happen to be one of Eintracht's toughest rivals, although the Eagles hold the short-term advantage in H2Hs with four wins to two in the last 10. The picture is completely different when we isolate just the away games, as Eintracht managed to secure only one win in the last 10 visits to this stadium, while Mainz won three times. But this also shows how close the fixtures have been, with the last three encounters at the Mewa Arena finishing level. Last but not least, Mainz won the reverse fixture this season (3-1).
Players to watch: Nebel to silence the Eagles again?
We loved betting on Jonathan Burkardt while he was in form during the season but he's been completely silent in the last couple of months, hence Mainz's bad results. In this fixture, we intend to give Paul Nebel a shot, primarily because of his performance in the reverse match this season, when he scored a brace. The 22-year-old German is going through his best season yet, with eight goals and five assists in the Bundesliga. He just returned from suspension last week (red card) and must step up.
Probable line-ups
Mainz: Zentner, Costa, Jenz, Kohr, Mwene, Sano, Amiri, Caci, Burkardt, Nebel, Lee
Eintracht Frankfurt: Trapp, Kristensen, Tuta, Koch, Theate, Larsson, Hojlund, Chaibi, Uzun, Bahoya, Ekitike
Anything else catch the eye?
Eintracht Frankfurt's 31 games this season produced an average of 3.4 goals, with 20/31 ending with at least three goals at full-time. Scoring goals was never an issue and the Eagles average 2.0 goals per game. But their defence has not been ideal, especially away from home. Even Mainz, with their current struggles, should find the net at least once.
In fact, we believe that this fixture will extend the streak of draws between these teams at the Mewa Arena. Neither side looks dangerous enough to overcome the challenge right now and 1-1 feels like a good shout.
This German Bundesliga match between Mainz and Eintracht Frankfurt will be played on and kick off at 18:30. Check below for our tipsters best Mainz vs Eintracht Frankfurt prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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