Mainz's participation in the Top 4 race was hardly in the bingo cards of Bundesliga football fans at the start of the season but it is a fact. Winning this game is crucial for both RB Leipzig and Mainz because the teams have equal points and share the same goal.
The current campaign ranks among the weaker ones for RB Leipzig in the last decade, although their chances of getting back into the Champions League are high. The team often fails to convert their advantage on the pitch into points, with four of their last five Bundesliga games being draws.
The fact is that they haven't lost in six consecutive rounds, but that's hardly a reason to rejoice, as those six games only brought them seven points. The main positive ahead of this round is the fact that RB have just one home loss this league season, which came during a difficult period back in November.
Mainz also had serious problems at the start of the season, which was completely expected considering where they finished last season. But the team has radically changed its game in recent months and is deservedly in the fight for the Top 4. However, it is obligatory to note that most of their successes came on their own ground, while they often experience serious difficulties even against weaker teams away from home.
But we should also note that apart from Bayern Munich, Mainz have the best defence in the Bundesliga this campaign, having conceded only 24 goals so far. In comparison, RB Leipzig have conceded 31.
How the bookies view it: The home advantage makes the difference
Bookmakers gave the home team a serious advantage, but the odds are definitely worth it. You can pick RB Leipzig at 19/20, the draw at 13/5, or the win for Mainz at 14/5.
Recent head to head: Perfectly in the middle
Matches between RB Leipzig and Mainz are often unpredictable, with both teams scoring quite a few wins in recent years. This is one of the more interesting rivalries in the Bundesliga, with both teams having four wins in the last 10 H2Hs. More importantly in this case, RB Leipzig won the first clash of the season 0-2 away.
Players to watch: Sesko loves playing at home
It is an undeniable fact that RB Leipzig produce a lot of talent and big teams often pay huge sums for their young players. Benjamin Sesko is a recent example of this, with the 21-year-old Slovenian having scored as many as 17 goals in all competitions this season. He is also the team's Bundesliga top scorer with 10 goals in 22 games. Most of his goals came in games in front of his own crowd, so expect him to be the main threat for the home side.
Probable line-ups
RB Leipzig: Gulacsi, Lukeba, Geertruida, Orban, Raum, Haidara, Seiwald, Baku, Simons, Openda, Sesko
Mainz: Zentner, Costa, Jenz, Hanche-Olsen, Mwene, Sano, Amiri, Caci, Weiper, Nebel, Burkardt
Anything else catch the eye?
This is a very interesting clash, with the final outcome being very difficult to predict. As a matter of fact, we expect few goals and a cautious game because the three points are crucial for both teams. Currently, RB and Mainz have 38 points each and are one point away from the Top 4.
Neither of the two teams is impressive with high scores at the moment. Only one of RB Leipzig's last five games ended with more than three goals, while all of Mainz's last five had less than three. It should also be noted that the visitors have only conceded one goal in their last five matches. We expect RB Leipzig to have more chances to score, but it's hard to imagine anything more than 1-0 as the final score.
This German Bundesliga match between RB Leipzig and Mainz will be played on and kick off at 14:30. Check below for our tipsters best RB Leipzig vs Mainz prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
In December 2020 we sadly 
