Bundesliga | Gameweek 21

Feb 8, 2025 at 2.30pm UK

Mewa Arena

Mainz vs Augsburg

Match preview

After a run of five wins in six matches to end 2024, Bo Henriksen's men have been beaten in three of their last five matches, losing away to Bayer Leverkusen (1-0), Union Berlin (2-1) and Werder Bremen (1-0).

Despite their inability to win on the road in 2025, the 05ers have won back-to-back games in front of their home fans, recording 2-0 victories over relegation-threatened VfL Bochum and fellow European chasers Stuttgart to continue an excellent run of results at the Mewa Arena.

The latest triumphs have taken the Carnival Club's home winning streak to five games, second only to Bayern Munich and Leverkusen, and they are aiming for a sixth successive top-flight win as hosts to equal the club record.

Regardless of Augsburg's form, supporters will be backing their team to make the trip to Rhineland-Palatinate a success against a Mainz side who are typically strong against the run of play, having won four of their last five Bundesliga games and three on the bounce at the Mewa Arena heading into this weekend's clash.

Victory for Henriksen's men (31 points) could see them leapfrog fourth-placed RB Leipzig (33) or fourth-placed Stuttgart (32), but a slip-up could see the 05ers slip down the table, with Borussia Monchengladbach, Bremen and Freiburg on 30 points and Wolfsburg and Borussia Dortmund on 29.

Augsburg, who are five points adrift of this weekend's hosts, have been in fine form since the turn of the year and are in contention for a top-six finish in Europe next season.

Having finished 11th last term, the former continental contenders are one place lower heading into Saturday's 21st round of matches, although a fourth win in six games to start the year has boosted their ambitions of challenging for a coveted European spot.

Jess Thorup's men are fourth in the table, behind Bayern (15 points), Leverkusen (13) and Eintracht Frankfurt (11), and the 12th-placed visitors will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to four games.

Although the Fuggerstädter suffered an away defeat in Tuesday's 1-0 DFB-Pokal quarter-final loss to Stuttgart, Thorup's side are unbeaten in three top-flight matches on their travels in 2025, keeping clean sheets in 2-0 wins at Union Berlin and Bremen before drawing 1-1 with St Pauli earlier in February.

A win or draw against Mainz would see the European outsiders extend their unbeaten run on the road to four games in 2020, including a 1-0 win over the same opponents, which would be ideal for the Bavarians.

Recent Performance

Mainz 05 Bundesliga form:WWLLWL

Augsburg Bundesliga form:LLWWWD

Augsburg form (all competitions):LWWWDL

Team News

Anthony Caci picked up his fifth booking of the season against Bremen, meaning the full-back will be suspended this weekend.

Stefan Bell is out with a muscular problem, but Nadiem Amiri (knock) and Nelson Weiper (illness) should be in contention after recovering from their respective problems.

Jonathan Burkardt, the Bundesliga's top scorer with 12 goals, has one fewer match-winning goals than Harry Kane's tally of six, but the two-goal hero of the reverse fixture (3-2 win at Mainz) is a doubt for this weekend's match with a hamstring problem.

Augsburg's Dimitrios Giannoulis will serve a one-match ban after picking up his fifth booking in last weekend's draw with St Pauli.

Injury concerns for the away side include Henri Koudossou (hamstring), Yusuf Kabadayi (knee), Marius Wolf (ankle) and Mergim Berisha (muscle).

Alexis Claude-Maurice and Samuel Essende are Bayern's top scorers with six and five goals respectively, so the onus will be on them to come up trumps in Mainz.

Possible starting lineup

Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:

Zentner; Da Costa, Jenz, Kohr; Widmer, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Nebel, Lee; Weiper

Augsburg possible starting lineup:

Dahmen; Matsima, Gouweleeuw, Banks; Gumny, Onyeka, Jakic, Rexhbecaj, Pedersen; Claude-Maurice, Essende