FSV Mainz – VfL Wolfsburg
While some European leagues, such as the Italian Serie A or the English Premier League, continued to play over Christmas and New Year, the Bundesliga took a break and the players and coaches went into a well-deserved winter break. But now things are finally resuming in Germany and the 17th matchday is just around the corner. On Saturday afternoon, FSV Mainz and VfL Wolfsburg, among others, will go head-to-head. Find out who is ahead in this match and who is worth betting on in our Mainz – Wolfsburg betting tip.
Mainz went through a long dry spell before Christmas and have been without a win for six Bundesliga matchdays. They are at the bottom of the table and desperately need points in their fight to avoid relegation. The next few weeks will be crucial, with Wolfsburg and Union Berlin both important games in which they need to pick up points.
Wolfsburg have experienced ups and downs this season and have been inconsistent. Shortly before Christmas, they suffered their ninth defeat of the season against Bayern and continue to languish in mid-table. However, a win against Mainz could bring the team back within striking distance of the group of teams playing for the international places.
Mainz – Wolfsburg info
- Date & Time: 13.04.2024, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Mewa Arena, Mainz
- Competition: Bundesliga, 17th matchday
- TV broadcast: Sky
Mainz Form & Balance Check
Mainz fans are longing for a sense of achievement, as it has been over two months since their last win. Since the 2:1 win against Leipzig, there have been four draws and two defeats. FSV are in the relegation places in the table, level on points with the clubs behind them from Cologne and Darmstadt. With a difference of three points, they are still in sight of the safety zone.
The relegation battle is therefore more exciting than ever and every point could be decisive in the end. A home win against the Wolves would be a strong statement to the competition and could even take Mainz up to 15th place, depending on how Union Berlin performs in the parallel match
Training camp gives hope
Mainz ended their training camp with a 2:1 win in a test match against Europa League contenders Rotterdam last weekend. That’s encouraging, as Mainz found it particularly difficult to score goals before the winter break.
Coach Jan Siewert should also be pleased that the Mainz squad was almost complete and that he was able to welcome back a number of players from the Mainz infirmary, including regular keeper Robin Zentner, Edimilson Fernandes, Leandro Barreiro and Maxim Leitsch. Josuha Guilavogui was also back in the squad after suffering a torn muscle tendon in his thigh in November. The mood on departure from the training camp was therefore very hopeful
Mainz facts & analysis
- FSV Mainz have failed to score in 3 of their 7 home games in the Bundesliga this season.
- A year ago, FSV Mainz were 12th in the table with 20 points. They are currently in 16th position (10).
- When FSV Mainz leads 1-0 in home matches, they win 63% of the matches.
Wolfsburg Form & Balance Check
Wolfsburg are stuck in no man’s land in the table this season. Four defeats from the last six league games have seen a number of setbacks. Coach Niko Kovač’s team slipped back down to tenth place after their latest defeat against Bayern and have been bouncing back and forth between eighth and eleventh place for several matchdays.
However, with 19 points, the Wolves are only five points behind an international qualification place and could reaffirm their claim to be among the teams who want to play internationally next year with an away win in Mainz.
Too few goals
One shortcoming of the current season is the Wolves’ goal threat. With just 20 goals scored, only four teams have scored fewer goals than VfL. The only bright spot is the much-praised Dane Jonas Wind, who has scored almost half of Wolfsburg’s goals this season with nine. So there is a lack of width in the forward line.
In the test match against Schalke, Jakub Kaminski returned as an attacking option with a good performance. The Polish shooting star was still searching for his form before Christmas, but picked up points in the training camp for more game time and could create more of a stir on Wolfsburg’s wings
Wolfsburg facts & analysis
- Did you know that VfL Wolfsburg score 45% of their goals between the 31-45 minute mark?
- VfL Wolfsburg’s away record this season: 2 wins – 0 draws – 6 defeats.
- When VfL Wolfsburg leads 0-1 in away matches, they win 70% of those matches.
Predicted lineup – last update on January 11, 2024
Over the winter break, the previously tense personnel situation at Mainz has eased somewhat. In the 3-4-3 system, we expect several returning players to be back in the starting line-up. These include goalkeeper Zentner, defender Fernandes and midfield strategist Barreiro. However, Frenchman Guilavogui, who is also fit again, is not yet ready for the starting eleven.
We expect Wolfsburg to play in a 4-3-3 formation. There is still a question mark over defender Rogério, but should he not be fit in time, Ridle Baku is available as an option at left-back. Kamiński was able to use the training camp to show himself. We expect him to start on the left wing from the beginning
Mainz – Wolfsburg head-to-head & stats
Mainz and Wolfsburg are no strangers to each other, as the two clubs have met 44 times in their club history, 34 matches in the Bundesliga and ten duels in League Two. Wolfsburg lead the direct comparison with 19 wins to ten. The last three meetings have also gone to the Wolves. The last match was a 3-0 win for Wolfsburg on matchday 30 of last season. The very first duel dates back to 1992 and ended 2:1 for Mainz.
- The home record of FSV Mainz against VfL Wolfsburg over the past 21 matches is: 5 wins, 8 draws and 8 defeats.
- VfL Wolfsburg’s current performance in the Bundesliga is better than FSV Mainz. On average FSV Mainz scores 1.2 goals against VfL Wolfsburg and VfL Wolfsburg scores 2.6 goals against FSV Mainz.
- FSV Mainz scores an average of 1.75 goals when playing at home and VfL Wolfsburg scores an average of 1.45 goals when playing away (on average).
- On average FSV Mainz scores 1.2 goals against VfL Wolfsburg and VfL Wolfsburg scores 2.6 goals against FSV Mainz.
- The most common result between FSV Mainz and VfL Wolfsburg is 1-1. 6 matches ended like this.
