Mainz 05 and Augsburg are separated by just two points in the Bundesliga table ahead of their clash at the MEWA Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Hovering just outside the bottom three, both sides will be hungry to pick up a positive result and steer clear of the relegation battle.
Match preview
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Mainz head into Saturday's clash on the back of a 2-1 defeat to title-chasing Union Berlin, meaning that they have lost three of their last four games in all competitions, with a 4-0 thrashing at the hands of Bayern Munich coming in the DFB-Pokal last week.
When you look at the bigger picture, Mainz have only managed to win one of their previous nine outings, registering two draws and six losses in the process.
The 05ers made a bright start to the 2022-23 Bundesliga campaign, winning three of their opening five matches, but they have struggled for consistency since then, picking up three victories in their last 14 league encounters.
There is no hiding the fact that Bo Svensson's men need to up their game at the MEWA Arena, as they have managed to win just two of their nine home league matches this season, while only bottom club Schalke 04 have claimed fewer points at home.
That said, Mainz crushed Bochum 5-2 in their previous Bundesliga game at the MEWA Arena, with Karim Onisiwo netting a hat-trick, so they will fancy their chances of overcoming Augsburg.
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Meanwhile, Augsburg secured an impressive 1-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen last time out, courtesy of Mergim Berisha's sixth Bundesliga goal since arriving on loan from Turkish club Fenerbahce.
It is worth noting that Berisha has now found the net in each of his last three league appearances, firing Augsburg to a 1-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach before scoring in the 3-1 defeat to SC Freiburg a fortnight ago.
When Augsburg chalked up a nine-game winless run between October and January – registering three draws and six losses in the league – Enrico Maassen's job appeared to be in danger, but the 38-year-old manager has steadied the ship in recent weeks.
Still, Maassen will be desperate for his players to start finding the net more frequently, as only the bottom three sides in the division have scored fewer goals than Augsburg this term.
It is also worth pointing out that Augsburg have failed to win any of their last five away matches in the Bundesliga, suffering four defeats along the way, and they have also conceded at least two goals in each of their previous six away league outings.
Team News
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Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner has missed the last four league games with a back injury, meaning that Finn Dahmen will continue to start between the sticks.
The hosts will also be without the injured trio of Silvan Widmer, Delano Burgzorg and Jonathan Burkardt this weekend, with the latter continuing to recover from knee surgery.
Following months on the sidelines, Marlon Mustapha returned to Mainz's matchday squad last time out, meaning that the forward could feature from the bench if required on Saturday.
Augsburg also have multiple injury problems, with Reece Oxford, Andre Hahn, Irvin Cardona, Ruben Vargas and Iago expected to miss the trip to Mainz.
On a brighter note, Tobias Strobl is close to returning to action following a lengthy ACL injury, having last featured for Augsburg all the way back in November 2021.
Mergim Berisha and Ermedin Demirovic have both bagged six goals and four assists in the league this season, so Demirovic will come straight back into the starting XI following his suspension.
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Hanche-Olsen, Bell, Fernandes; Da Costa, Barreiro, Kohr, Caci; Onisiwo, Lee; Ajorque
Augsburg possible starting lineup:
Gikiewicz; Gummy, Gouweleeuw, Uduokhai, Pedersen; Maier, Engles, Rexhbecaj, Jensen; Demirovic, Berisha
We say: Mainz 05 1-1 Augsburg
While Mainz have struggled on home soil this season, Augsburg have found life difficult on the road of late, meaning that Saturday's clash is likely to be a relatively cagey affair.
Given that Mainz and Augsburg find themselves just a handful of points outside the drop zone, both sides will be happy to settle for a draw, preventing a relegation rival from winning in the process.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Ben Morris
