Mainz vs Bayer Leverkusen
Germany – Bundesliga
Date: Saturday, 21 December 2019
Kick-off at 14:30 UK/ 15:30 CET
Venue: Opel Arena (Mainz).
MAINZ
Mainz 05 moved clear of the relegation zone with a 5-0 defeat of Werder Bremen exceptional on Tuesday, their third win in five matches under Beierlorzer.
St Juste defender is back from suspension and is expected to start, although the team keep their first clean sheet of the season without him in Bremen.
Mateta striker could make his first start of the season after making his second appearance and scored his first goal since returning from injury, while Malong is a fresh injury doubt.
Predicted line-up (3-4-1-2): Zentner; Hack, St. Juste, Niakhate; Oztunali, Fernandes, Baku, Aaron Martin; Boetius; Quaison, Mateta
Not available: Bell (Injured), Ji Dong-Wong (Hurt), Latza (Injured)
Doubtful: Onisiwo (Injured)
BAYER LEVERKUSEN
Bayer Leverkusen have lost their last three games in all competitions, and coach Bosz would be very concerned with the fact they have not scored in all three.
Midfielders Baumgartlinger and Bellarabi both missed Wednesday's defeat to Hertha BSC because of illness, while Lars Bender is also a doubt after coming off an injury.
Dragovic central defender is available again after suspension but Bailey still banned, so Diaby is set to start on the left side of the attack again.
Predicted line-up (4-2-3-1): Hradecky; Retsos, Tah, S. Bender, Wendell; Aranguiz, Baumgartlinger; Bellarabi, Havertz, Diaby; Volland
Not available: Weiser (Injured), Bailey (Suspended)
Doubtful: Pohjanpalo (Injured), Bellarabi (Disease), Baumgartlinger (Disease), L. Bender (Injured)
Match Statistics
Quaison is Mainz's top scorer with seven goals this campaign. Mateta states that honor last season with 14, and opened his account for 2019/20 in a 5-0 win at Werder Bremen after returning from injury.
Mainz had gone 16 Bundesliga matches without conceding before the victory, avoiding the risk of matching an unwanted club record of 18 September 2005 to March 2006.
The 05ers only won more Bundesliga match against Freiburg (12) than against Leverkusen (10), but they have a negative note with 12 defeats in 26 meetings.
Havertz scored in both games against Mainz last season, but he has not scored or assisted in seven Bundesliga appearances, which only happened twice before in the 101-game career.
Kevin Volland most potent attacking outlet Leverkusen with five goals and five assists this season, but he has gone eight games without scoring a goal against Mainz.
Die Werkself have won four of their last six visits to Mainz and the last three home or away. There is no draw in this match since November 2014.
Mainz vs Bayer Leverkusen Head-to-head (h2h)
The last time the two met, Leverkusen win in this place, 1-5.
Bayer is in a three-match winning run against this opposition.
Six of the former nine wins away to Leverkusen.
Four of the six previous wins in this stadium go to guests.
Prediction
Leverkusen remains very unpredictable, beat the best in the Bayern one week, then lost the last two weak to fight Cologne and Hertha Berlin.
After losing 8-0 to Leipzig and fired their coach, had beaten Bremen 5-0 Mainz and Hoffenheim 5-1 in recent weeks and above.
But give Leverkusen last chance to bounce back from some bad defeats.
Prediction:
Mainz 05 1 2 Bayer Leverkusen
