Second-placed RB Leipzig will look to build on their dominant start when they hit the road to face FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday.
FSV Mainz will look to build on their win in the last outing while RB Leipzig will be looking to maintain their unbeaten start to the new campaign when the two teams meet at Mewa Arena on Saturday.
The home team have had a mixed start to the new season with two wins, two draws and two defeats. They are currently 10th on the points table with eight points in their six outings.
Mainz won 3-0 in their last outing against FC St. Pauli prior to the break. Having secured their second league win they will look to stop Leipzig in their tracks.
The visitors are currently second with 14 points in their six outings thanks to four wins and two draws. They are heading into this on the back of a 1-0 win over FC Heidenheim. While it wasn’t their best performance, they do have the momentum in their favour and will look to make it count.
Leipzig will look to build on their consecutive wins in the league when they face Mainz and they surely have the squad to get the job done. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
FSV Mainz 05
Dominik Kohr is suspended for this fixture. Karim Onisiwo is a major doubt for this fixture. He has a race against time to be back for this outing.
The home team will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation with Robin Zentner in goal. Andreas Hanche-Olsen will start at the back alongside Moritz Jenz and Maxim Leitsch.
Anthony Caci and Phillipp Mwene will feature as wing-backs for Mainz while Kaishū Sano and Nadiem Amiri will take charge in the centre of the park. The two will look to shield the back line and ensure Leipzig midfielders do not run the show.
Lee Jae-sung and Hong Hyun-seok will be the two attacking midfielders behind Jonathan Burkardt who will be leading the line.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Zentner; Hanche-Olsen, Jenz, Leitsch; Caci, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Hong, Lee; Burkardt
RB Leipzig
Marco Rose will most likely be without the services of David Raum, Assan Ouedraogo and Xaver Schlager. Meanwhile, Kevin Kampl is also a doubt. While he could be back in the squad, he is unlikely to start.
The visitors will line up in a 4-4-2 formation where Péter Gulácsi will be in goal. Lutsharel Geertruida and Benjamin Henrichs should be the full-backs with Willi Orban and Castello Lukeba taking charge in the heart of the defence.
Antonio Nusa and Xavi Simons should start out wide on the flanks with Arthur Vermeeren and Amadou Haidara taking charge in the middle of the park. The four will look to ensure the visitors have more of the ball.
In attack, Benjamin Sesko should pair up with Lois Openda. With both strikers in form, Rose will hope they get the job done for him.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Gulacsi; Geertruida, Orban, Castello, Henrichs; Nusa, Haidara, Vermeeren, Simons; Sesko, Openda
Key Stats
- RB Leipzig have won seven out of the last 16 matches against FSV Mainz who have won five of those fixtures.
- While Leipzig have a better head-to-head record they have won only one out of their last seven matches against Mainz.
- Marco Rose’s Leipzig haven’t won against Mainz in the last two Bundesliga seasons.
- The visitors are unbeaten in their last 17 matches in the league. They have set a new club record in the competition.
- Mainz have kept a clean sheet in their last three matches against Rose’s men.
Player to Watch
Lois Openda
Openda will be the one to watch out for in this outing. He has four goals and an assist in his six league outings, three of those goal contributions have come in the last two outings and he will be looking to add to it when he takes the field against Mainz.
Prediction
FSV Mainz 05 1-3 RB Leipzig
Mainz are heading into this fixture on the back of a win and they do have a great recent record against Leipzig but given the kind of start the visitors have had this season, the home team will find it difficult to stop them in their tracks. The Hard Tackle predicts a rather easy win for the visitors.
