VfL Bochum vs Mainz 05 - prediction, team news, lineups

Mainz 05 volition anticipation to bounce backmost from decision erstwhile they question to look VfL Bochum at Ruhrstadion on Tuesday successful the DFB-Pokal's 2nd round.

The visitors suffered a 3-2 nonaccomplishment against Werder Bremen successful the Bundesliga on Saturday, whereas the hosts travel into their adjacent clash having drawn 1-1 with Wolfsburg successful the 2nd tier connected October 23.

Match preview

Bochum's play successful the 2. Bundesliga has been disappointing, with the nine successful 14th spot with conscionable 8 points aft 9 matchweeks.

Their stalemate with Wolfsburg saw them people conscionable their sixth extremity successful the 2nd tier, and it was the archetypal clip they recovered the backmost of the nett astatine each successful immoderate of their past 3 games.

Manager Uwe Rosler has failed to usher his squad to a triumph successful their 5 astir caller fixtures, and a nonaccomplishment connected Tuesday would beryllium his side's 4th successful six matches.

The hosts are not lone winless successful their past six meetings with Mainz, but they person besides mislaid each of their past 3 encounters with the visitors, including erstwhile they were beaten 4-1 successful May 2025.

A large interest for Rosler volition beryllium that Bochum person failed to triumph immoderate of their 5 outings astatine location successful 2026-27, suffering 3 losses.

Mainz's run has been positive, with the nine successful seventh spot with 10 points aft 7 matchweeks, though they did endure their 2nd decision successful 3 games against Bremen.

Die Nullfunfer person been porous astatine the backmost having conceded 13 times successful the Bundesliga, with each of those goals conceded successful their past 5 top-flight contests.

The visitors lone claimed 9 points from their archetypal 16 league fixtures successful 2025-26, truthful contempt their antiaircraft struggles, they person inactive made important progress.

Head manager Urs Fischer has experienced mixed occurrence recently, arsenic portion his squad did suffer against Bremen, a triumph connected Tuesday would beryllium their 3rd successful 5 games.

Mainz's grounds distant from has been cleanable this play fixed they person triumphed successful each 4 clashes connected the road, scoring 19 goals, though fractional of those strikes came successful their 9-0 triumph against Krieschow successful the DFB-Pokal's archetypal circular connected August 23.

VfL Bochum DFB-Pokal form:

VfL Bochum signifier (all competitions):

Mainz 05 DFB-Pokal form:

Mainz 05 signifier (all competitions):

Team News

If Bochum usage the aforesaid 4-2-3-1 strategy that they deployed earlier successful the DFB-Pokal, possibly fans volition spot centre-backs Michael Steinwender and Karol Mets stationed behind Mats Pannewig and Tom Meyer.

Striker Philipp Hofmann could beryllium supported by attacking midfielder Berkan Taz, arsenic good arsenic wingers Koji Miyoshi and Christian Rasmussen.

As for Mainz, they could tract a akin lineup to the 1 that started successful the archetypal circular of the DFB-Pokal, though with defender Dominik Kohr retired until January, Danny da Costa, Stefan Posch and Kacper Potulski could diagnostic successful defence.

It would beryllium astonishing to spot regulars like Kaishu Sano oregon Jae-Sung Lee successful midfield, with Eric Martel and Paul Nebel apt inclusions instead.

In the frontline, Benedict Hollerbach and Ransford Konigsdorffer could commencement successful bid to give Sheraldo Becker and Phillip Tietz a interruption from the aggravated demands of first-team football.

VfL Bochum imaginable starting lineup:

Horn; Klaiber, Steinwender, Mets, Wittek; Meyer, Pannewig; Miyoshi, Taz, Rasmussen; Hofmann

Mainz 05 imaginable starting lineup:

Zentner; Da Costa, Posch, Potulski; Widmer, Nebel, Martel, Amiri, Mwene; Konigsdorffer, Hollerbach

We say: VfL Bochum 1-3 Mainz 05

Despite the inconsistencies of Mainz successful the Bundesliga, thing different than a comfy distant triumph would beryllium surprising.

Bochum could endanger the visitors' backline, particularly arsenic their opponents person been susceptible of late, but they should not beryllium expected to get the amended of a top-flight side.

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