FSV Mainz 05 – VfL Bochum
The Bundesliga’s top clubs battled it out in the Champions League and Europa League during the week. It’s back to league action at the weekend, with FSV Mainz facing VfL Bochum on Saturday afternoon. In the basement duel, important points are at stake in the fight to stay in the league. Find out who has the better cards in this duel and who will come away empty-handed in our Mainz – Bochum betting tip.
Mainz are still under extreme pressure. Time is slowly running out for Mainz and they urgently need points to keep their hopes of avoiding relegation alive. Last weekend, coach Bo Henriksen’s team went down to an 8-1 defeat at Bayern.
Bochum are also at the bottom of the table. They lost to SC Freiburg last weekend and were therefore unable to make up any points on the relegation zone. VfL still have a small lead, but they also have to make sure they score points to avoid having to go into relegation after all or even go straight into League Two
Mainz – Bochum info
- Date & Time: 16.03.2024, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Mewa Arena, Mainz
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 26
- TV broadcast/livestream: Sky
Mainz Form & Balance Check
Mainz had no chance in their recent defeat to Bayern. Nevertheless, there has been a noticeable trend in the right direction since coach Henriksen took over four games ago. Mainz have picked up four points from these four matches, keeping them within striking distance of the relegation places.
This is currently two points away and with a win against Bochum and a slip-up by Cologne in Friday evening’s game, Mainz would even have the chance to leave the direct relegation places. They are still nine points adrift of the safety zone and therefore of their upcoming opponents
A moment of shock for Guilavogui
In the match against Bayern, there was a moment of shock on the pitch. After a collision with team-mate Anthony Caci, Josuha Guilavogui lay motionless on the ground. Several players, as well as referee Patrick Ittrich, who positioned the Mainz player in the stable sideline, rushed to help. After the game, however, the all-clear was given by the club.
Guilavogui is suspected to have suffered a concussion and has probably escaped with a big bump and a scare. However, his participation against Bochum is more than questionable
Mainz facts & analysis
- 17th place in the table
- Last game lost
- Unbeaten at home for three games
Bochum Form & Balance Sheet Check
Bochum are currently in a form crisis. The 2:1 defeat against SC Freiburg last weekend was their third loss in a row. Coach Thomas Letsch’s team have collected just four points from their last five games and are 15th in the table with a total of 25 points.
The gap to the relegation places is still seven points, but if the negative streak does not end soon, Bochum run the risk of being overtaken by Cologne and their upcoming opponents from Mainz. However, a win would ease the situation considerably. With the bottom half of the table tighter than it has been for a long time, Bochum could even climb a few places on this matchday
Gate goals remain the problem
Bochum continue to struggle with their defense. With a total of 52 goals conceded, they have the second-worst defense in the league and have conceded eight more goals than Mainz. In the last four games alone, VfL have conceded a total of 13 goals, including four against Leipzig and five against Gladbach.
It is important to get this weakness under control in the final spurt of the season so that the team can perhaps celebrate their relegation early and not have to tremble until the end
Bochum facts & analysis
- Place 15 in the table
- Lost last three games
- Second worst defense in the league
Main play with a 3-4-2-1 formation. Dominik Kohr replaces the injured Guilavogui in defense after serving his suspension. Leandro Barreiro also returns to the starting line-up in midfield after serving his yellow card suspension. Otherwise, we don’t expect any changes compared to the game against Bayern. Karim Onisiwo and Ajorque Ludovic remain attacking options from the bench.
We expect Bochum to play with a 4-3-3 formation. Cristian Gamboa could get his chance at right-back. Patrick Osterhage, who was recently injured, is fit again and could be in the starting eleven. We also expect a breath of fresh air on the outside with Maximilian Wittek
Mainz – Bochum head-to-head & stats
21 matches have already been played between Mainz and Bochum in history. The teams have faced each other eleven times in the Bundesliga. There have also been eight encounters in the Bundesliga 2 and two matches in the DFB Cup. Mainz clearly lead the direct comparison with eleven wins to six. If we look at the last four matches, we see three wins for Mainz and a 2-2 draw in the first leg of this season’s tie. The very first meeting took place in 1993. Back then, Bochum won 2-0
Direct comparison (H2H)
