Bayer Leverkusen will hope to continue applying pressure to first-placed Bayern Munich when they host Mainz 05 at BayArena on Tuesday in their 17th Bundesliga game of the season.
The champions are second with 35 points after beating Borussia Dortmund 3-2 on Friday, and are four points behind leaders Bayern, whereas their opponents are in fifth place with 28 points and triumphed 2-0 against VfL Bochum on Saturday.
Match preview
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The hosts scored twice against Dortmund in the first eight minutes of their clash and were leading 3-1 by the 19th minute, though it should be noted that they only accumulated 30% possession, half of their season average of 60.2%.
Manager Xabi Alonso praised his players' discipline against BVB, telling reporters: "We did it well with the ball but we also did it really well without the ball. We did not concede much. It is a development of our game that we can compete in this way, to play here with this discipline against a top, top team in Europe."
Dortmund had not been beaten at home in the Bundesliga in their previous 11 league games but only created a non-penalty xG total of 0.56 on Friday.
Leverkusen only kept three clean sheets in their first 13 games in all competitions, but they have since kept their opponents from scoring six times in 13 matches.
Die Schwarzroten's form has been outstanding considering they have triumphed in each of their last nine fixtures, scoring eight goals in their two most recent games.
Alonso's side have almost been flawless at home this season, with the club winning 10, drawing two and losing just one of their 13 outings at BayArena in 2024-25, and his team are also unbeaten in their 11 most recent matches at home.
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Meanwhile, Mainz thoroughly deserved to claim all three points when they beat Bochum, especially given the victors' first-half showing in which they limited Bochum to just one shot while creating two big chances and producing 1.4 xG.
Boss Bo Henriksen thought that his side could have played even better in the first 45 minutes, but praised his players for their execution of his tactical plan, saying: "We put together a good plan – knew that it would depend a lot on long balls and second balls. We defended very, very well.
"The first half was quite difficult for us. We were better in the second half, also with the ball. Of course, we are satisfied with the performance and the result. It was only after 70 minutes that we allowed the first chance to score."
Henriksen's team are in fine form considering they have emerged victorious in six of their last seven Bundesliga games, winning their three most recent matches by a cumulative score of 7-2.
Having scored 30 goals and conceded 20 times in the Bundesliga, Mainz rank as the division's joint fifth best offensive and joint second best defensive team.
The visitors' form away from home is somewhat mixed considering they have won two, drawn one and lost one of their past four outings on the road, though they have only been beaten once in their eight fixtures away from home this term.
Team News
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Leverkusen's injury list is relatively small, but they will still be unable to call upon forwards Amine Adli and Victor Boniface, who will make their comebacks from injury next month.
Florian Wirtz came on from the substitute's bench last time out, but he can be expected to play in attack alongside Nathan Tella and Patrik Schick.
Regular centre-backs Edmond Tapsoba, Jonathan Tah and Piero Hincapie are all fit to start on Tuesday, although defender Jeanuel Belocian has suffered a cruciate ligament injury and will not return until September.
As for Mainz, midfielder Nadiem Amiri is suspended, while Paul Nebel is likely to be unavailable until late February due to a calf injury.
Given the their absence, Kaishu Sano and Dominik Kohr may be trusted to shield centre-backs Danny Da Costa, Stefan Bell and Moritz Jenz.
Winger Gabriel Vidovic has also been ruled out, so perhaps Hyun-Seok Hong and Jae-sung Lee will support striker Jonathan Burkardt.
Bayer Leverkusen possible starting lineup:
Hradecky; Tapsoba, Tah, Hincapie; Frimpong, Xhaka, Andrich, Grimaldo; Tella, Wirtz; Schick
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; Da Costa, Bell, Jenz; Caci, Sano, Kohr, Mwene; Hong, Lee; Burkardt
We say: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Mainz 05
Mainz are unlikely to be beaten easily on Tuesday, and it would not be surprising if the game was a closely fought contest.
Leverkusen should be considered slight favourites given their excellent home record, and they could find joy during counter-attacks if Mainz are forced to push further forward in the event that the hosts take the lead.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Lewis Nolan
