With Champions League football still to play for in the final three Bundesliga games of the season, Mainz 05 will welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to Mewa Arena on Sunday.
The seventh-placed hosts’ tally of 47 points means they are four points and three places from the division’s final Champions League spot, while the Eagles are third with 55 points and managed to beat RB Leipzig 4-0 on April 26.
Match preview
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Mainz lost 3-0 against Bayern Munich last Saturday, though they did create the same number of big chances as the champions-elect (two) and squandered the opportunity to take the lead in the sixth minute when striker Jonathan Burkardt fired over the bar from close range.
Karnevalsverein have now conceded seven goals in their past three games while failing to find the back of the net twice in those matches.
Manager Bo Henriksen knows a defeat on Sunday would end their hopes of Champions League football if fourth-placed Freiburg win against Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, but with just two points separating them from fifth-placed RB Leipzig, Europa League football would still be possible.
Mainz are winless in their six most recent outings – suffering three defeats – and it should be noted that they have not kept a clean sheet in any of their past eight fixtures.
While the hosts have drawn their last three at home, they are undefeated in 10 at Mewa Arena, winning on six occasions.
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Opponents Eintracht Frankfurt were aided by the fact Leipzig were reduced to 10 men in the 50th minute when they were winning 1-0, but they were deserving victors considering they generated five big chances while preventing Die Roten Bullen from creating one themselves.
The Eagles failed to score in their prior two fixtures, but they have kept three clean sheets in their past four matches.
Boss Dino Toppmoller‘s side will secure top four if they win and RB Leipzig fail to triumph or if Freiburg lose on the weekend, but they will also be certain of a top-four finish if they draw in Mainz and if both Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund do not win.
Toppmoller oversaw a 3-1 defeat against Mainz in the league on December 21, though the Eagles will be confident of avenging the loss given they have won four of their last six in the top flight, losing just once.
However, the visitors have struggled away from home, with the club being held to three stalemates and suffering two defeats in their six most recent outings on the road in the Bundesliga.
Team News
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Mainz’s squad is entirely fit barring centre-backs Moritz Jenz and Anthony Caci, though the pair are only expected to miss a few more days of action at most.
Perhaps Danny da Costa, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Dominik Kohr will start in central defence, while Kaishu Sano and Nadiem Amiri may be fielded together in a double pivot.
Paul Nebel and Jae-sug Lee were deployed in attacking roles behind Burkardt against Bayern, and they are likely to be chosen again.
Eintracht Frankfurt also have few injury concerns, though attacker Mario Gotze is set to miss out due to a hip injury.
Striker Hugo Ekitike is almost certain to be stationed up front, and the Frenchman could be supported by Ansgar Knauff and Jean-Matteo Bahoya.
Ellyes Skhiri and Hugo Larsson played in midfield last time out, and they could be tasked with protecting centre-backs Tuta, Robin Koch and Arthur Theate.
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; Da Costa, Hanche-Olsen, Kohr; Veratsching, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Nebel, Lee; Burkardt
Eintracht Frankfurt possible starting lineup:
Trapp; Tuta, Koch, Theate; Kristensen, Skhiri, Larsson, Brown; Knauff, Bahoya; Ekitike
We say: Mainz 05 1-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz have proven to be defensively vulnerable, and the visitors will be confident of securing a positive result given have not often been beaten in the Bundesliga recently.
However, Eintracht Frankfurt are likely to encounter difficulties at Mewa Arena considering they have struggled away from home, though they should still be seen as favourites on Sunday.
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