FSV Mainz 05 vs FC Augsburg
After the best clubs in Europe resumed their international competitions during the week, the Bundesliga resumes at the weekend. The 22nd matchday is on the agenda and FSV Mainz and FC Augsburg are among those facing off in Saturday’s packed conference.
Mainz are still deep in the basement after their 3:1 defeat against Stuttgart last weekend. They urgently need to score points if they are not to completely lose touch in the battle to stay up. As so often in recent weeks, the team did not put in a bad performance in the last match, but failed to convert this into points. Now the ripcord was pulled and the coach had to go.
Augsburg secured a point against RB Leipzig in their last game and thus secured their position in mid-table. Leipzig’s missed penalty shortly before the end meant that the point was perhaps a little fortunate, but Augsburg have stabilized somewhat in recent weeks and have only lost to the top clubs from Leverkusen and Munich in the new year. You can find out whether Augsburg will plunge Mainz further into crisis or whether Mainz can finally send a sign of life in our Mainz – Augsburg betting tip.
Mainz – Augsburg info
- Date & Time: 17.02.2024, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Mewa Arena, Mainz
- Competition: Bundesliga, Matchday 22
Mainz Form & Balance Check
Mainz suffered another setback last weekend. The defeat at VfB was the third defeat in four matches, extending Mainz’s winless streak to eleven games. The team of now ex-coach Jan Siewert remains in second-last place in the table, level on points with bottom club Darmstadt. Luckily for Mainz, FC Köln managed to equalize in stoppage time at TSG Hoffenheim last weekend, allowing them to pick up just one point. It’s been the same old story for weeks now and Mainz desperately need a three-pointer to keep their hopes of staying in the league alive. There is no longer any confidence in coach Sievert, and so the club announced during the week that coach and club are going their separate ways. The new coach is the Dane Bo Henriksen, who saved FC Zurich from relegation last season and is now set to do the same at Mainz
Ajorque finally scores again
The only bright spot for Mainz last weekend was that striker Ludovic Ajorque finally ended his goal drought, bringing some hope to Mainz’s sluggish offense. The Frenchman, who had previously gone 16 matchdays without a goal, has shown improved performances of late and earned himself a place in the Mainz starting line-up in the last two games. This gives Mainz some hope, as Ajorque already helped them to avoid relegation last season with six goals in the second half of the season and was celebrated by the fans as a “goal giant.”
Mainz facts & analysis
- 17th place in the table
- Last game lost
- Without a win in eleven games
Augsburg Form & Balance Check
Augsburg can be quite satisfied with their record this year, as the team has had an extremely difficult program. Three of their last five opponents were Leverkusen, Bayern and Leipzig and FCA picked up five points from these five games. As a result, coach Jess Thorup’s team are firmly established in mid-table and are currently in eleventh place with 23 points. They are seven points clear of the relegation places and eleven points clear of a direct relegation spot. Coach Thorup knows that there are still a few games to go, but his team is currently well on the way to securing its place in the league at an early stage and being able to approach the season finale a little more relaxed than last year.
Demirović delivers
FCA are currently on fire in attack and have scored a strong seven goals in their last four games. The main player here is striker Eredin Demirović, who hails from Bosnia and Herzegovina and has been delivering since the winter break. He has scored in the last three games and even bagged a brace against Bayern. The 25-year-old now has a total of twelve goals and is fifth in the league scoring charts. He also has an impressive six assists. Demirović is therefore involved in almost 60% of all Augsburg goals, and the Mainz defense should be warned
Augsburg facts & analysis
- Place eleven in the table
- Last two games played to a draw
- Four points from the last two away games
Due to the change of coach, it is difficult to predict how much the new coach will rotate. We expect Danny da Costa to return at full-back in the 4-3-3 system. Leondro Barreiro could also return to the starting line-up alongside Dominik Kohr in defensive midfield. Tom Krauß would also be an option here. In attack, however, we expect Ajorque as the central striker as well as Jonathan Burkhardt and Jessic Ngankam.
We expect Augsburg to field the same team as in the last two games. Demirović and Phillip Tietz are set up front in the 4-4-2. Should coach Thorup make changes in midfield, Arne Maier and Pep Biel will be available. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw and Kristijan Jakić are both on four yellow cards and run the risk of being suspended for the next game
Mainz – Augsburg head-to-head & stats
35 matches have already been played between the two teams in history. Augsburg lead the direct comparison by a narrow margin of 16 wins to 13. If we look at the last four meetings, the balance is even and both teams have won twice each. Mainz will be looking to take revenge for the 2:1 first-leg defeat in the upcoming match. The very first meeting took place in 1974. In that second division clash, the score remained goalless at 0-0.
Direct comparison (H2H)
