Preview: Mainz 05 vs. VfL Bochum - prediction, team news, lineups

With the December interruption present successful the rearview mirror, Bundesliga enactment is acceptable to resume this play with Mainz 05 taking connected VfL Bochum astatine the Mewa Arena connected Saturday afternoon.

The hosts person enjoyed a precise beardown commencement to the season, presently successful 5th spot coming into the New Year, portion the visitors are languishing astatine the ft of the array aft 15 games.

Match preview

© Imago

Having not cracked the apical 8 since the 2015-16 campaign, this play is shaping up to beryllium a peculiar 1 for Mainz, arsenic they hole to resume league work with 25 points from their archetypal 15 games.

Die Nullfunfer ended 2024 connected an upward trajectory, winning 5 of their past six matches, with the astir caller being a precise awesome 3-1 triumph connected the roadworthy to third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.

That effect marked Bo Henriksen's side's seventh triumph of the season, the aforesaid fig of wins arsenic they managed crossed the full of 2023-24, and they are present conscionable 10 points down the 35-point tally they posted past term.

While the hosts are unbeaten successful their past 3 location games, they volition privation to amended their grounds astatine Mewa Arena implicit the 2nd fractional of the season, having lone taken 11 points from a imaginable 24 connected their location spot to date.

Up adjacent for Mainz is Bochum, a broadside they bushed 2-0 erstwhile they met astatine this venue successful March past play to widen their unbeaten league tally against them to 5 games (W4 D1 L0) dating backmost to August 2021.

© Imago

Meanwhile, aft surviving the driblet via the relegation playoffs past season, Bochum person failed to footwear connected this word and are successful superior trouble, having lone earned a specified six points from their archetypal 15 league matches.

Die Unabsteigbaren went into the December interruption pursuing their archetypal triumph of the play astatine location to Heidenheim, but they person not won back-to-back league matches since May 2024 erstwhile they bushed Hoffenheim and Union Berlin.

Notably, though, the Blues person gone six consecutive matches unbeaten successful their archetypal crippled aft the wintertime interruption (W5 D1 L0), which is simply a grounds lone bettered by Borussia Dortmund successful the apical flight.

However, based connected their distant signifier this term, that grounds could beryllium successful superior jeopardy this weekend, arsenic Dieter Hecking's broadside has picked up conscionable 1 constituent successful 8 Bundesliga matches connected the roadworthy this season, and conceded 2 oregon much goals successful 5 of those games.

Mainz 05 Bundesliga form:

VfL Bochum Bundesliga form:

Team News

© Imago

Mainz volition person to marque bash without the services of Nadiem Amiri this weekend, with the midfielder acceptable to service the archetypal of a two-match prohibition for the reddish paper helium was shown successful the triumph implicit Frankfurt past month.

The German planetary volition beryllium joined connected the sidelines this week by Silvan Widmer and Gabriel Vidovic, some of whom are ruled retired until the extremity of January owed to a calf and an ankle wounded respectively.

Bochum besides person a subordinate forced to beryllium retired this play owed to suspension successful the signifier of Koji Miyoshi pursuing his consecutive reddish successful the 1-1 gully distant to Union Berlin successful the penultimate lucifer of 2024.

Gerrit Holtmann picked up a groin strain successful the aforesaid lucifer which kept him connected the sidelines for the triumph implicit Heidenheim, but the guardant has reportedly resumed grooming and could instrumentality to the squad this weekend.

Mainz 05 imaginable starting lineup:
Zentner; Da Costa, Bell, Jenz; Caci, Sano, Kohr, Mwene; Lee, Nebel; Sieb

We say: Mainz 05 2-1 VfL Bochum

Mainz are enjoying their champion play successful caller representation and person dominated this fixture with 4 wins and a gully successful their past 5 league encounters against Bochum. The hosts ended 2024 with 5 wins successful their past six games, and we consciousness they volition kickstart the New Year with a triumph successful this one.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer please click here.

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