FSV Mainz – SC Freiburg
On this 13th matchday of the Bundesliga, there are again some groundbreaking duels on the program. On Sunday afternoon, Freiburg travel to Mainz, where both clubs have a lot at stake. Freiburg were still on international duty during the week and delivered a strong performance in their Europa League match against Olympiakos Piraeus. In the Bundesliga, the Black Forest side have not won in four games and Christian Streich’s boys will be desperate to bring home another three points. In the battle for the international places, it is important to stay in touch in order not to lose sight of the top clubs and remain within striking distance.
Mainz, on the other hand, are in the midst of a relegation battle and are reliant on points in front of their home crowd. Coach Jan Siewert has managed to stabilize the team, as they have not lost in four Bundesliga matches. Nevertheless, there is still a long way to go to get out of the danger zone and Mainz have the chance to pull their own heads out of the noose in the upcoming games with opponents such as Freiburg, Cologne and Heidenheim. You can find out whether they can win against Freiburg or whether the Black Forest side will come out on top in our Mainz – Freiburg betting tip
Mainz – Freiburg info
- Date & Time: 03.12.2023, 15:30 h
- Playing venue: Mewa Arena, Mainz
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 13
- TV broadcast: DAZN
Mainz Form & Balance Check
Mainz are still low down in the table. The club is currently in 16th place, just one point off a direct relegation spot. Their record after matchday 12 is one win, five draws and six defeats. That makes a points haul of eight points with a goal difference of 12:25.
That’s not enough to keep them out of the relegation battle, so former coach Bo Svensson threw in the towel at the beginning of October. Since Siewert took over, Mainz have stabilized considerably and have not lost in four matchdays. In particular, the 2:0 win against Leipzig in the last home game was balm for the Mainz fans’ souls. Mainz’s remaining schedule up to the Christmas break offers opportunities to pick up more points, as they face direct rivals Cologne and Heidenheim.
Fight for the number two spot
Unfortunately, Mainz will not have their regular goalkeeper and captain Robin Zentner available on Sunday. He is missing due to a bony finger injury and will not be standing between the posts for the time being. It remains to be seen who will replace him, as both Lasse Rieß and Daniel Batz are hoping for their chances as number two. Both goalkeepers have virtually no Bundesliga experience.
Batz has only played once in a Bundesliga match, and Rieß has never even been on the pitch. According to coach Siewert, there is basically no fixed ranking in this position and it remains to be seen which of the two the coach will trust
Mainz facts & analysis
- 16th place in the table
- Unbeaten in four games
- Only one goal conceded in the last three games
Freiburg Form & Balance Check
Freiburg booked their place in the next round of the Europa League during the week with a 5-0 win against Piraeus. Thanks in particular to a strong first half and Michael Gregoritsch’s brace, Freiburg have deservedly progressed to the next round.
The Black Forest side are currently in ninth place in the Bundesliga. The game in Mainz is extremely important if they are not to lose touch with the international places. Freiburg are currently five points off sixth place and have a record of four wins, three draws and five defeats. In recent weeks, the points haul has been poor, as Freiburg have not been able to celebrate a win in four Bundesliga matches. Coach Streich’s team have also already been eliminated from the cup
Weakness away from home
The reason why Freiburg are not higher up the table is, among other things, their poor away record. Sport-Club have only won a single match on foreign turf, and that was in Hoffenheim on the very first matchday. Freiburg have also only scored four goals in other stadiums and have a goal difference of 4:14. In Mainz, Freiburg have the chance to improve their away statistics and the 5:0 win in the Europa League has certainly spurred the team on.
Freiburg facts & analysis
- ninth place in the table
- Winless in four games
- First away win
Predicted line-up – last update on December 1, 2023
Mainz will line up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Sepp van den Berg returning from suspension in defense. Youngster Brajan Gruda could be back in the starting eleven in attack. The goalkeeper question after the loss of Zentner will not be easy for coach Siewert to decide.
Freiburg play in a 3-4-2-1 formation. After his hat-trick in the Europa League, Gregoritsch is set to start up front. We also expect Roland Sallai back in the starting eleven after recovering from a torn muscle fiber
Mainz – Freiburg head-to-head comparison & stats
The upcoming clash will be the 47th meeting between the two clubs. Mainz have won 17 games and Freiburg 15 times. The clubs have drawn 14 of their matches and the last meeting was a 1-1 draw on matchday 25 of last season
- Mainz slightly ahead in the historical direct comparison
- The overall goal difference is 63:48 from Mainz’s point of view
- The last meeting ended 1:1
