Bundesliga continues this Wednesday for Augsburg who will welcome Mainz to WWK Arena for the rescheduled Round 226 game of the 2021/22 Bundesliga season.
Venue: WWK Arena (Augsburg)
Key Statistics
Augsburg have lost just one of their last six home league games (W2, D3).
The hosts have scored before half-time in four of their last five Bundesliga home games (W2, D2, L1).
Mainz have taken just two points from their last eight away matches in the Bundesliga – their longest winless run under Svensson.
The visitors were losing at half-time in six of their nine Bundesliga away losses this season.
Augsburg’s Ricardo Pepi has had 135 touches and eight shots, including five on target, in 355 minutes of Bundesliga football without scoring a goal.
André Hahn has scored more goals (five) against Mainz than any team he’s faced and has had a direct hand in Augsburg’s last four strikes against the 05ers (three goals, one assist).
Mainz goalkeeper Robin Zentner has kept a joint-league-high nine clean sheets in 2021/22, albeit only one on the road, where’s he’s conceded 23 goals compared to eight at home.
Head to head
Augsburg have scored at least once in their previous 10 meetings with Mainz, winning the last four home ties.
The hosts have seven wins over their last ten meetings while Mainz have just two wins.
Latest performances in all competitions
Augsburg: W-L-W-D-L
Mainz: D-W-L-L-W
Augsburg
Augsburg go in search of back-to-back wins when they play Mainz 05 in their rescheduled round 26 match in the WWK Arena on Wednesday.
Markus Weinzierl’s team come into this encounter off the back of an impressive 3-0 home win over Wolfsburg over the weekend. The home team took an early lead with their first kick of the ball. The visitors came out stronger in the second half and controlled the game, but it was the hosts who grabbed another goal through Florian Nierderlechner. The German attacker turned provider for the next goal by Mad Pederson to put the tie well beyond doubt.
The win leaves Augsburg in 14th place three points clear of the relegation zone, two points above Stuggart and two behind Wolfsburg.
Since gaining promotion to the German top flight, Augsburg have remained in the top flight. With three wins since the start of 2022, they stand a real risk of relegation but will give their survival hopes a huge boost with a win over Mainz 05.
Augsburg were beaten 4-1 in the reverse fixture back in October 2021, with Mainz scoring three inside 25 minutes. The loss was the first for Augsburg against Mainz in their last five encounters, with Markus Weinzierl’s team having won all four previous encounters before that.
The hosts have several injury issues to deal with, as winger Noah Sarenren Bazee is set to miss the end of the season while Felix Uduokhai, Tobias Strobl and Michael Gregoritsch are also ruled out.
Possible Augsburg starting line-up
Rafal Gikiewicz; Robert Gumny, Reece Oxford, Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Iago; Daniel Caligiuri, Arne Maier, Niklas Dorsch, Mads Padersen; Florian Niederlechner, Ricardo Papi
Injured: Gregoritsch, Sarenren Bazee, Tobias Strobl, Felix Uduokhai
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Mainz
Mainz on the other hand are high flying this season and are currently seated in 10th place at the table.
The away team needed a Karim Onisiwo goal to spare their blushes against Borussia Monchengladbach over the weekend after Breel Embolo had put Gladbach in front.
With seven games left on the calendar, Mainz 05 stands a real chance of making it into the European spots with only six points separating them from sixth-placed Hoffenheim., and there is no better way to do it than recording their first back to back victories over Augsburg since 2019.
Bo Svensson has been credited with the transformation that is visible at the Opel Arena, and this season, the Swedish coach has made Mainz 05 a joy to watch. Whatever happens from here, Mainz are well on course to end the season on a high note thereby ultimately ending their consecutive seasons of finishing below the top ten since 2016.
But for all their good work, Mainz’s away record this season has left much to be desired, as they have picked up just two wins away from home. Svenson will be hoping to make that bad record better when his side travels to Bavaria.
Mainz 05 have a light injury list, with only two players Delano Burgzorg and Jeremiah St. Juste set to miss the clash against Augsburg.
Possible Mainz starting line-up
Zentner – Bell, Hack, Niakhate (c) – Widmer, Kohr, Stach, Martin – Lee – Onisiwo, Burkardt
Robin Zentner; Stefan Bell, Alexander Hack, Moussa Niakhate; Silvan Widmer, Anton Stach, Dominik Kohr, Aaron Martin; Jae-Sung Lee, Jonathan Burkardt; Karim Onisiwo.
Injured: Delano Burgzorg, Jerry St. Juste
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Prediction
Augsburg 1-2 Mainz