FSV Mainz 05 – SV Darmstadt 98
The Bundesliga continues and the 28th matchday is coming up and this weekend we can look forward to top-class soccer again. However, it will be less top-class in this basement duel. Mainz 05, who are 16th in the table, are at home to Darmstadt, who are bottom of the table. An absolute relegation duel in which nothing less than the future of both clubs is at stake. We will find out on Saturday afternoon who can secure important points in the relegation battle. However, you can find out who has a slight advantage in this duel in our Mainz – Darmstadt betting tip.
Mainz pulled off a minor surprise last matchday. They put in a very solid performance away from home against Champions League aspirants RB Leipzig and were rewarded with a 0-0 draw and a point that could prove very important in the relegation battle.
Darmstadt also performed very well last weekend. After falling 2-0 behind against their direct rivals in Bochum, few believed that Darmstadt would be the problem child. However, Torsten Lieberknecht’s team showed real morale, fought their way back and secured a well-deserved 2-2 draw. The point is also very important for them, but if they want to keep their chances of staying in the league, they absolutely need a three-pointer now
Mainz – Darmstadt info
- Date & Time: 06.04.2024, 3:30 pm
- Playing venue: Mewa Arena, Mainz
- Competition: Bundesliga, 28th matchday
- TV broadcast/livestream: Sky
Mainz Form & Balance Check
Mainz’s season is going rather moderately well so far. The goal was to stay in the league and now they are having enormous difficulties in achieving this. With 13 defeats, eleven draws and only three wins from 27 games, they are in the relegation zone of the Bundesliga. They are also just one point clear of the relegation zone and six points away from relegation. The game against Darmstadt is therefore a classic “six-point game.”
Strong support
Mainz had one man in particular to thank for the points split last weekend: Robin Zentner. The keeper really outdid himself on the final matchday and kept a clean sheet. Leipzig’s goalkeepers were literally biting their teeth out. He stopped 100% of the balls that came into his box and also intercepted 100% of the crosses that sailed into his penalty area. With nine saves, he is quite rightly in the eleven of the matchday
Mainz facts & analysis
- 16th in the Bundesliga
- Three wins this season
- Last game a draw
Darmstadt Form & Balance Check
Darmstadt have had a tough time from the start this season as a promoted team and have been in last place since matchday 14. They have won just two of their 27 league games, drawn eight and lost 17 times. That is, quite logically, the worst result in the league. They have drawn two and lost three of their last five games. Darmstadt can boast a lot of negatives, but they will try to start a series with the draw against Bochum to make the dream of staying in the league a reality
Winless Darmstadt
With Wolfsburg’s win against Bremen last matchday, SV Darmstadt are now the only remaining team in the top three German leagues without a single win in the 2024 calendar year. The last success for Torsten Lieberknecht’s side was on matchday seven, 07.10.2023. Since then, they have drawn seven and lost the rest of their matches. It will be exciting to see how they approach the game to break this winless curse
Darmstadt facts & analysis
- Winless in 2024
- Last game draw
- Last place in table
Coach Bo Henriksen has the full squad at his disposal, with the exception of Stefan Bell (infection), who has had to take a break since the start of the year. Mainz will start in their classic 3-4-2-1 to maintain the necessary stability at the back. Kohr will return to the back three after serving his yellow card suspension and could make the difference in such a competitive game. Widmer is an option on the right flank.
Darmstadt will be without midfielder Gjasula (yellow card suspension) for this important match. Kempe will replace him in the starting eleven. Should Torsten Lieberknecht decide to play a similar system to the one against Bochum, Darmstadt will start in a very attacking 4-1-3-2. Apart from Gjasula, it will be the same eleven
Mainz – Darmstadt head-to-head & stats
This duel has only taken place 19 times so far. Mainz have won ten of these games, the teams have drawn three times and Darmstadt have won six times. The goal difference is a very even 29:28 in favor of Mainz. In the first leg, the two cellar dwellers played out a relatively unspectacular 1-1 draw. However, a points-split would not help anyone this weekend, so Mainz in particular will want to ensure they stay in contention for relegation at home.
Direct comparison (H2H)
