With the December break now in the rearview mirror, Bundesliga action is set to resume this weekend with Mainz 05 taking on VfL Bochum at the Mewa Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts have enjoyed a very strong start to the season, currently in fifth place coming into the New Year, while the visitors are languishing at the foot of the table after 15 games.
Match preview
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Having not cracked the top eight since the 2015-16 campaign, this season is shaping up to be a special one for Mainz, as they prepare to resume league duty with 25 points from their first 15 games.
Die Nullfunfer ended 2024 on an upward trajectory, winning five of their last six matches, with the most recent being a very impressive 3-1 victory on the road to third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt.
That result marked Bo Henriksen's side's seventh victory of the season, the same number of wins as they managed across the entire of 2023-24, and they are now just 10 points behind the 35-point tally they posted last term.
While the hosts are unbeaten in their last three home games, they will want to improve their record at Mewa Arena over the second half of the season, having only taken 11 points from a possible 24 on their home patch to date.
Up next for Mainz is Bochum, a side they beat 2-0 when they met at this venue in March last season to extend their unbeaten league run against them to five games (W4 D1 L0) dating back to August 2021.
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Meanwhile, after surviving the drop via the relegation playoffs last season, Bochum have failed to kick on this term and are in serious trouble, having only earned a mere six points from their first 15 league matches.
Die Unabsteigbaren went into the December break following their first win of the season at home to Heidenheim, but they have not won back-to-back league matches since May 2024 when they beat Hoffenheim and Union Berlin.
Notably, though, the Blues have gone six consecutive matches unbeaten in their first game after the winter break (W5 D1 L0), which is a record only bettered by Borussia Dortmund in the top flight.
However, based on their away form this term, that record could be in serious jeopardy this weekend, as Dieter Hecking's side has picked up just one point in eight Bundesliga matches on the road this season, and conceded two or more goals in five of those games.
Team News
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Mainz will have to make do without the services of Nadiem Amiri this weekend, with the midfielder set to serve the first of a two-match ban for the red card he was shown in the victory over Frankfurt last month.
The German international will be joined on the sidelines this week by Silvan Widmer and Gabriel Vidovic, both of whom are ruled out until the end of January due to a calf and an ankle injury respectively.
Bochum also have a player forced to sit out this weekend due to suspension in the form of Koji Miyoshi following his straight red in the 1-1 draw away to Union Berlin in the penultimate match of 2024.
Gerrit Holtmann picked up a groin strain in the same match which kept him on the sidelines for the victory over Heidenheim, but the forward has reportedly resumed training and could return to the squad this weekend.
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; Da Costa, Bell, Jenz; Caci, Sano, Kohr, Mwene; Lee, Nebel; Sieb
VfL Bochum possible starting lineup:
Drewes; Oermann, Ordets, Bernardo; Passlack, Bero, Losilla, Sissoko, Wittek; Broschinski, Hofmann
We say: Mainz 05 2-1 VfL Bochum
Mainz are enjoying their best season in recent memory and have dominated this fixture with four wins and a draw in their last five league encounters against Bochum. The hosts ended 2024 with five wins in their last six games, and we feel they will kickstart the New Year with a victory in this one.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Devesh Jaganath
