Mainz vs Hoffenheim preview: Pivotal mid table clash

In a pivotal midtable clash, Mainz welcome Hoffenheim to Mewa Arena on Sunday for their 12th match of the season.

Mainz

Mainz enter this match in a promising position. They are just one point behind sixth-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach, who occupy the Bundesliga’s Europa Conference League spot, and three points adrift of Borussia Dortmund in the Europa League position. A win on Sunday could see them edge closer to securing European ambitions.

The hosts earned a well-deserved 1-0 victory over Holstein Kiel in their most recent outing, dominating with 18 shots and generating nearly 2.5 xG while restricting their opponents to just seven attempts and less than 0.5 xG.

Mainz also pulled off an impressive 3-1 victory against Borussia Dortmund on November 9, continuing a strong run of form that has seen them lose just once in their last six Bundesliga matches, with three wins and two draws in that span.

Their home form at the Mewa Arena has been somewhat inconsistent. Following three consecutive defeats, they have drawn and won their last two league games. Henriksen’s side will be eager to establish greater consistency on their home turf as they look to maintain their upward trajectory in the table.

Team News

Die Nullfünfer head into Sunday’s game with four key players unavailable. Strikers Jonathan Burkardt and Nelson Weiper remain sidelined, while Karim Onisiwo is nearing a return but is not expected to feature this weekend. Wide player Gabriel Vidovic is also ruled out.

Manager Bo Henriksen will likely turn to Armindo Sieb to lead the line, supported by Paul Nebel and Jae-sung Lee in attack. Wing-backs Anthony Caci and Phillipp Mwene are expected to provide width, flanking a back three comprising Danny da Costa, Stefan Bell, and Dominik Kohr.

Hoffenheim

Hoffenheim will approach their clash with Mainz buoyed by a dramatic 4-3 victory over RB Leipzig, a game where they came from behind three times before securing a memorable win in Christian Ilzer’s first match in charge.

However, their momentum was dampened on Thursday by a 3-0 loss to Braga in the Europa League. Hoffenheim fell behind by two goals within the first eight minutes and struggled to recover. The result leaves Die Kraichgauer in 25th place in the Europa League standings, on the brink of elimination unless their form improves. They remain just one spot outside the round of 16 playoff positions, keeping their hopes alive for now.

In the Bundesliga, Hoffenheim’s recent form has been mixed. They have secured just one win in their last five matches across all competitions but have suffered only one defeat in their last six league outings.

Their away form, however, remains a concern. Hoffenheim have drawn their last three Bundesliga matches on the road, showing signs of resilience. But those draws followed a dismal run of six losses in their previous seven top-flight away games. Ilzer’s side will need to improve their consistency on the road to come away with a positive result against Mainz.

Team News

Christian Ilzer’s Hoffenheim side are also grappling with injuries, missing key figures such as Grischa Prömel and Finn Becker in midfield. However, Anton Stach and Tom Bischof are fit and should form the central pairing in the engine room.

Defensively, Hoffenheim will be without Ozan Kabak, Christopher Lenz, and Florian Grillitsch. This could result in a back four of Pavel Kadeřábek, Stanley Nsoki, Arthur Chaves, and Alexander Prass.

With Ihlas Bebou and Marius Bülter unavailable in attack, Haris Tabakovic is expected to spearhead the attack, supported by a creative trio of Adam Hložek, Andrej Kramarić, and Jacob Bruun Larsen.

Both teams are navigating significant absences, which could make tactical adaptability and depth crucial factors in this encounter.