Preview: Freiburg vs. Mainz 05 – prediction, team news, lineups

Freiburg will hope to continue their push towards the Bundesliga’s Champions League qualification spots when they host strugglers Mainz 05 on Sunday at Europa-Park Stadion.

The hosts are in fifth place with 15 points from their first eight matches but lost 3-1 against RB Leipzig on October 26 in their last league outing, while the visitors are in 13th place with nine points and drew 1-1 with Borussia Monchengladbach on October 25.

Match preview

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Breisgau-Brasilianer took the lead against RB Leipzig after just 15 minutes but squandered all three points after Die Roten Bullen scored three second-half goals.

Freiburg are level on points with fourth-placed Union Berlin, who occupy the division’s final Champions League qualification spot, and also have as many points as Xabi Alonso‘s Bayer Leverkusen.

The hosts beat Hamburger SV 2-1 on Wednesday to reach the third round of the DFB-Pokal, and the result means that Julian Schuster‘s side have won five of their last seven games in all competitions, losing the other two.

Schuster was upbeat in the aftermath of his team’s defeat against RB Leipzig, saying that he was proud of his players while also praising their courage and belief.

Freiburg have scored 13 goals and conceded 11 times in the Bundesliga, and these records make them the league’s joint ninth best offensive and joint fourth best defensive team.

The home side have won four of their last five matches at Europa-Park Stadion, scoring 10 times but failing to keep a clean sheet and conceding on seven occasions in that period.

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As for the visitors, they come into the clash having lost 4-0 against Bayern Munich in the second round of the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, with Jamal Musiala netting a first-half hat-trick.

Mainz’s loss against Vincent Kompany‘s team means they have lost two and drawn one of their three most recent games, including drawing 1-1 with Borussia Monchengladbach in their last league match.

The 05’s will perhaps be disappointed with their draw considering they generated 1.68 xG, nearly triple the figure that Borussia Monchengladbach produced.

Manager Bo Henriksen‘s team have scored 12 goals and conceded on 13 occasions in the league, and this makes them the division’s joint 11th best offensive and eighth best defensive club.

To their credit, Henriksen’s side have won four and drawn one of their last four away games, scoring 15 times while conceding seven goals, and have not lost in their last eight matches on the road.

Freiburg Bundesliga form:

Freiburg form (all competitions):

Mainz 05 Bundesliga form:

Mainz 05 form (all competitions):

Team News

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The hosts will be without a number of players, including midfielder Daniel-Kofi Kyereh until late November, as well as attacker Merlin Rohl until the middle of this month.

Defenders Jordy Makengo, Kenneth Schmidt and Manuel Gulde are also unlikely to feature, so expect Freiburg to field a backline consisting of Lukas Kubler, Matthias Ginter, Philipp Lienhart and Christian Gunter.

Maximilian Eggestein and Patrick Osterhage are candidates to appear in a double pivot behind Eren Dinkci.

Meanwhile, Mainz will be unable to call upon centre-backs Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Moritz Jenz, while right-back Nikolas Veratschnig is ruled out.

Henriksen could select Stefan Bell, Dominik Kohr and Maxim Leitsch to start in a back three, with Anthony Caci and Phillipp Mwene likely to appear as wing-backs.

Striker Jonathan Burkardt and midfielder Nadiem Amiri may also miss out, so perhaps Daniel Gleiber could replace Amiri, while Armindo Sieb could start in place of Burkardt.

Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Atubolu; Kubler, Ginter, Lienhart, Gunter; Eggestein, Osterhage; Doan, Dinkci, Grifo; Adamu

Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; Kohr, Bell, Leitsch; Caci, Sano, Gleiber, Mwene; Nebel, Lee; Sieb

We say: Freiburg 2-2 Mainz 05

Mainz have struggled for positive results of late, and it would not be surprising if they failed to win once again on Sunday.

However, it is difficult to ignore the visitors’ strong away form, and perhaps Freiburg will have to settle for a point at home.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.

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