Preview: Mainz 05 vs. RB Leipzig - prediction, team news, lineups

The visitors are chasing a third successive league victory as they look to move into the Champions League qualification spots.

Match preview

Although sitting bottom of the table without a win after nine matches represents an extremely disappointing start to the season for Mainz, their situation would look even bleaker had Tom Krauss not snatched a last-gasp point against VfL Bochum last Friday.

Both sides were desperate to claim their first league victory of the season at Vonovia Ruhrstadion, and Bochum appeared to be on course to earn all three points when Keven Schlotterbeck restored their lead in the 82nd minute, having scored an own goal earlier in the second half. However, Krauss struck in the sixth minute of injury time to keep their opponents within touching distance.

Despite this, Bo Svensson's side still seemed bereft of confidence when losing 3-0 away to second tier side Hertha Berlin in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday, although the Dane and his players may not have wanted the distraction of a cup run given their precarious position in the league. Mainz registered just one shot on target across the course of the encounter at Olympiastadion.

Having finished in the top half in each of Svensson's two full seasons in charge, Die Nullfunfer will be desperate to extend their 15-year stay in the Bundesliga, but their chances of ending their winless streak against Leipzig on Saturday appear to be slim based on current form.

Indeed, after disappointingly drawing at home against Bochum on the last matchday prior to the international break in October, Leipzig have made no such errors when comfortably dispatching SV Darmstadt 98 and FC Koln in recent weeks.

Die Roten Bullen thrashed Koln 6-0 at the Red Bull Arena, with Lois Openda's first half brace extending his personal tally to eight goals in nine league games since joining from Lens during the summer transfer window. Timo Werner, David Raum, Benjamin Sesko and Christoph Baumgartner all got on the scoresheet, too, in an utterly dominant performance from Marco Rose's side. Substitute Mathias Olesen's late dismissal for two bookable offences summed up the visitors' frustration.

Leipzig were brought back down to Earth when seeing their recent stranglehold on the DFB-Pokal come to an end with a 1-0 defeat to Wolfsburg on Tuesday, with Vaclav Cerny's early effort proving to be the difference between the two sides. Yussuf Poulsen's red card in the 56th minute made any hopes of his side mounting a comeback more difficult, meaning Leipzig will not be winning Germany's domestic cup for a third successive season.

However, Rose and his players will be more focused on mounting a title challenge while progressing as far as they can in the Champions League, with their prospects of qualifying from Group G looking extremely solid given that they moved five points clear of Young Boys and Red Star Belgrade after recently beating the latter 3-1.

With Bayern Munich facing Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker later on Saturday, Rose will be urging his players to take advantage by delivering an expected victory in Mainz, as they look to move within the Champions League qualification spots in the table.

Mainz 05 Bundesliga form:

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Mainz 05 form (all competitions):

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RB Leipzig Bundesliga form:

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RB Leipzig form (all competitions):

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Team News

Mainz will remain without Nelson Weiper, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Jonathan Burkardt due to injury, while former Aston Villa winger Anwar El-Ghazi is unlikely to feature despite having his suspension lifted following his controversial posts on social media relating to the Israel-Gaza conflict.

Krauss is likely to start after making a decisive impact from the bench against Bochum last time out in the Bundesliga, but otherwise Svensson has very few options to mix things up as he desperately searches for his side's first victory.

Leipzig, on the other hand, possess plenty of quality depth, but Rose only made two changes for his side's defeat to Wolfsburg in midweek. Janis Blaswich will almost certainly come back in for Peter Gulasci in goal, with the Hungary stopper still finding his feet - or hands - after enduring a long period out with a serious knee injury.

Rose utilised a back three against Koln and given the impressive result and performance which his team delivered, he is likely to revert to this system, meaning Mohamed Simakan could replace Poulsen depending on whether the France defender's knee issue has calmed down.

Dani Olmo, Willi Orban, Kevin Kampl and El Chadaille Bitshiabu are all expected to miss out once again due to ongoing injury problems.

Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:

Zentner; Van Den Berg, Bell, Leitsch; Da Costa, Barreiro, Krauss, Caci; Gruda, Onisiwo; Ajorque

RB Leipzig possible starting lineup:

Blaswich; Simakan, Klostermann, Lukeba; Henrichs, Schlager, Haidara, Raum; Simons, Werner; Openda

We say: Mainz 05 0-2 RB Leipzig

Mainz's dreadful start to the season has caught many by surprise - not least those within the club - given their strong performances under Svensson in the last few years. While we believe they can turn things around, that process is unlikely to begin against an in-form Leipzig team.

Indeed, Rose's side have won three successive away games in the Bundesliga and they will be supremely confident of making that four on Saturday, especially with Openda in such excellent form for them in attack.

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