Bundesliga returns this weekend with the first fixture of round 23 seeing Mainz 05 host Bayer Leverkusen on Friday.
Venue: Mewa Arena (Mainz)
Key Statistics
Mainz have conceded just 24 goals this season. It is the least number of goals they have conceded after 22 games.
The hosts have only lost three of 24 Bundesliga games with former Leverkusen midfielder Dominik Kohr in the starting line-up.
Four of Burkardt’s seven Bundesliga goals in 2021/22 have fallen on Mainz soil.
Mainz are winless in eight against Leverkusen (D1, L7).
Bayer Leverkusen boasts the second-best away record in the Bundesliga this season (21 points), after leaders Bayern Munich (25 points).
Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick has 19 goals in as many Bundesliga games this term, scored at a rate of one every 80 minutes.
Diaby has scored in three straight Bundesliga matches for the first time in his career. With five goals during that spell, he’s doubled his tally for the campaign.
The visitors hold the best Bundesliga record so far in 2022 (W4, D1).
Head to head
In 27 matches between both sides, Leverkusen have won 56% of the time (15 wins) while Mainz 05 have just seven wins (D5).
Latest performances in all competitions
Mianz 05: D-W-L-L-L
Bayer Leverkusen: W-W-W-W-D
Mainz
Mainz 05 play host to Bayer Leverkusen on Friday night at the MEWA Arena in round 23 of the German Bundesliga.
The home team sit in ninth position but are just three points shy of the top four and European football.
Such has been the nature of the German Bundesliga this season as the middle table is pretty much congested with all teams between fourth position and tenth position jostling for a chance to make it for Europe’s premier competition come next season.
They look well-positioned for a top-six finish and will go into this tie desperate for a win that will keep their chances of doing so alive.
However, they have never been able to string together a run of victories this season. The longest they have ever gone was a three-game winning streak that came back in October last year. Such inconsistent performance has deterred their season and has made their chances of playing European premier football a bit harder.
Although they did beat fellow top-four challengers Hoffenheim in round 21 this tie presents a sterner test for Bo Svensson’s men and will put their mettle to the test.
Possible Mainz starting line-up
Robin Zentner; Stefan Bell, Alexander Hack, Moussa Niakhate; Silvan Widmer, Leandro Barreiro, Dominik Kohr, Aaron Martin; Lee Jae-Sung, Karim Onisiwo, Jonathan Burkardt.
Injured: Jeremiah St. Juste
Doubtful: None
Suspended: None
Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen have enjoyed a wonderful season so far and can further consolidate on their fine performance with a win against Mainz 05 at MEWA Arena.
Gerardo Seoane Castro’s men have been in scintillating form this season, recording massive wins along the line, including a recent 2-5 drubbing away at the Signal Iduna Park against Borussia Dortmund in round 21. They followed that win up with another big win, this time at home against relegation-threatened Stuttgart.
Their exploits have seen them notch up fourteen goals in their last three matches while conceding just five goals.
They are currently sitting in third place, five points behind second-placed Dortmund and seven points ahead of fourth-placed Leipzig. A win in this game will further firmly cement their place in next season’s Champions League with only 13 rounds of football left to play.
Gerardo Seoane’s side come into this tie on a four-game-winning run in the league. They are unbeaten in their last five league games and boast the second-best away league form. Given their form, they will fancy their chances of winning this game.
Possible Leverkusen starting line-up
Lukas Hradecky; Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah, Edmonds Tapsoba, Piero Hincapie; Robert Andrich, Kerem Demirbay; Amine Adli, Florian Wirtz, Moussa Diaby; Patrik Schick.
Injured: Julian Baumgartlinger, Karim Bellarabi
Doubtful: None
Suspended: Mitchel Bakker
Prediction
Mainz 1-4 Leverkusen
