Bayer Leverkusen will be looking to make it three straight wins in the league when they hit the road to face a struggling FSV Mainz 05.
Having won just one Bundesliga game so far, FSV Mainz 05 find themselves in the relegation zone. While they will be looking to jump out of the drop zone with a win on Saturday afternoon, Bayer Leverkusen will look to close the gap on the top four.
The home team are 16th on the points table with just four points in their six league outings. Since securing all three points against FC Augsburg, Mainz have suffered defeat at the hands of Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger SV.
While they did win in Europe, their league form suggests they could have a very long night against Bayer Leverkusen, who have slowly started regaining their best form following the early managerial change.
The visitors had only won one out of their first four league outings, and things were not looking that great for them. But they have managed to turn things around under Kasper Hjulmand. Having won their last two league outings, they will be confident about making it three in a row.
Bayer Leverkusen are heading into this fixture on the back of a 2-0 win over Union Berlin. Given the kind of football they have been playing of late, Die Werkself are favourite to win here. 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
The home team remain without the services of Robin Zenter, who is suspended for this fixture. Meanwhile, Anthony Caci and Maxim Dal are both out injured. Against Bayer Leverkusen, FSV Mainz 05 will line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Lasse Riess will take charge in goal.
Dominik Kohr will start alongside Danny da Costa and Andreas Hanche-Olsen in the heart of the defence. Meanwhile, Arnaud Nordin and Phillipp Mwene will feature as wing-backs for the home team.
As for the midfield unit, Kaishu Sano will pair up with with Nadiem Amiri in the centre of the park. The duo will look to ensure the Bayer Leverkusen midfielders do not run the show. Paul Nebel and Lee Jae-sung will feature as the two attacking midfielders behind Benedict Hollerbach, who will lead the line for Mainz against Bayer Leverkusen this weekend.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Riess; Da Costa, Hanche-Olsen, Kohr; Nordin, Sano, Amiri, Mwene; Nebel, Lee; Hollerbach
Bayer Leverkusen
Kasper Hjulmand will be without the services of Exequiel Palacios. Meanwhile, Martin Terrier and Jarell Quansah are major doubts for this outing. While Patrik Schick is closing in on a return, this fixture comes a touch too early for him.
Like FSV Mainz 05, Bayer Leverkusen will also line up in a 3-4-2-1 formation, where Mark Flekken will be in goal. In the heart of the defence, Loic Bade will start alongside Robert Andric and Edmond Tapsoba.
Alejandro Grimaldo and Lucas Vazquez should feature as the wing-backs for the visitors. In the centre of the park, Equi Fernandez will pair up with Aleix Garcia. The duo will look to control the tempo and ensure they dominate the proceedings.
Ernest Poku and Malik Tillman will be the two attacking midfielders behind Christian Kofane, who should spearhead the Bayer Leverkusen attack against FSV Mainz 05 on Saturday.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Flekken; Bade, Andrich, Tapsoba; Vazquez, Fernandez, Garcia, Grimaldo; Poku, Tillman; Kofane
Key Stats
- After winning just one out of their first four league outings, Bayer Leverkusen are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive wins.
- Bayer Leverkusen have a much superior head-to-head record, having won 21 out of their last 39 outings against Mainz.
- Mainz could only manage 12 wins in those fixtures.
- While Bayer Leverkusen haven’t had the best of starts in the new season, they remain unbeaten away from home in the league in 2025 (six wins, six draws).
- Mainz do not have the best of records at home, having failed to win any of their last eight home league games (D3 L5).
Player to Watch
Christian Kofane
The 19-year-old attacker joined Bayer Leverkusen in the summer, and he has only gone from strength to strength since. Kofane has been involved in a total of nine matches so far, and he has contributed towards five goals.
The fact that he has only started three games and has already had such an impact suggests Bayer Leverkusen have got their hands on a top talent. The youngster is expected to be in the starting XI against Mainz, and given his recent form, he can surely have a big say on the end result of this fixture.
Prediction
FSV Mainz 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen have started to find their rhythm under Kasper Hjulmand, and confidence will be high heading into this clash. With two consecutive league wins and a growing sense of stability, they appear to be getting back to their best.
Mainz, on the other hand, have struggled to find any sort of consistency this season. Their inability to turn possession into meaningful chances has been a major concern, and facing an in-form Leverkusen side could expose those weaknesses further. The Hard Tackle predicts a comfortable 2-0 win for Kasper Hjulmand and his charges.