Mainz 05
- Mainz 05 are three places and four points ahead of Union in the Bundesliga table (37 pts from 32 games, 10th), while the capital side are languishing 13th with just 33 points from their first 32 games.
- Fischer’s compact, structure-first approach ensures that his side are organised at the back and disciplined in their pressing.
- If they can recover possession, they have the quality to hurt teams on the counter, with Amiri the primary attacking outlet.
Union Berlin
- Union Berlin have gone five Bundesliga games without a win (D2, L3), while Mainz 05 have three defeats, one draw and one win from the same period.
- Union’s away record reads W4, D2, L10 in the Bundesliga this season, conceding an average of 1.94 goals per game on their travels.
- The switch in management has been towards a more organised system, but Eta’s team have found it tough to settle in during their short tenure.
Head-to-Head
- Mainz 05 are winless in their last five meetings with Union Berlin in all competitions (W0, D3, L2).
- The reverse fixture was a 2-2 draw at Union Berlin in the Bundesliga, while Mainz 05 have not beaten Union Berlin at home in their last two Bundesliga meetings.
Key Players
- Mainz 05 have one of the best all-round players in the Bundesliga in Nadiem Amiri (#10), a creative and clinical number ten who has netted 11 goals in 24 league appearances this season.
- Union Berlin, on the other hand, need someone with a reliable goal-scoring record in their ranks, as top scorer Danilho Doekhi has managed just five in 32 Bundesliga matches.
- Marie-Louise Eta’s appointment brings historical and emotional significance to the fight for survival that the club has been involved with in recent months.
Betting Insights
- It’s a clash of two styles that should result in a very open and end-to-end game, so we’re expecting an exciting encounter with goals at both ends (BTTS - 1.65) and over 2.5 goals (1.77).
- Mainz 05 are the value bet here, however, so we’re backing the hosts to pick up another win in this matchup (W/1).
Prediction
Mainz 05 are the value bet here, however, so we’re backing the hosts to pick up another win in this matchup ( W/1 ).
