Mainz 05 vs. Augsburg preview: Augsburg aiming to spoil Karneval atmosphere

With Karneval in full swing in Mainz and both sides climbing the Bundesliga form table despite sitting in the bottom half of the standings, Saturday’s meeting promises an intriguing duel between two experienced coaches as Urs Fischer’s Mainz host Manuel Baum’s Augsburg.

Mainz’s momentum under Fischer continues to build, with the head coach suffering just one defeat in his first nine matches in all competitions. Last weekend’s 2-1 away win at RB Leipzig underlined the side’s growing confidence, as Fischer’s men defended resolutely before striking through a Nadiem Amiri penalty and a Silas goal either side of half-time. The victory lifted Mainz up to 16th and, crucially, out of the automatic relegation places. Now, the 05ers are aiming for three consecutive wins for the first time since March 2025.

That success came at a cost, however, with Benedict Hollerbach forced off early in Leipzig. The club later confirmed the forward had suffered an Achilles tendon tear, ruling him out for the remainder of the season. Mainz responded on deadline day by securing Sheraldo Becker from Osasuna, offering attacking depth and reuniting Fischer with a player he previously worked with at Union Berlin.

Veteran defender Stefan Bell, who made his 300th Bundesliga appearance last weekend, urged his side to maintain their upward trajectory:

“They've [Augsburg] stabilized their points tally in recent weeks. We might have a bit more possession than in Leipzig, but the objective is clear. We want to keep the pressure on in the table and add another win.”

Augsburg, meanwhile, have also enjoyed an improved run of form under Manuel Baum. Unbeaten in four league matches (2W, 2D), they have created some breathing room from the bottom three and currently sit 11th on 22 points, with a third successive victory also within reach.

They followed up their impressive win over previously unbeaten Bayern by taking care of business at home against St. Pauli last weekend. A Michael Gregoritsch double sealed a 2-1 victory, marking the striker’s first goals since returning to the Bundesliga in January.

Baum is anticipating a fiercely contested encounter in Mainz:

“It will be a battle with a lot of duels – a great deal of will and courage is required,” calling on his side to be a “nasty opponent” capable of “crashing the party.” 

Beyond the points on offer, there is a personal subplot, with Philipp Tietz set to face Augsburg for the first time since joining Mainz in January. The striker has made a positive start under Fischer, registering one goal and two assists in his opening five appearances, and will be keen to dent his former club’s momentum.

Mainz ran out 4-1 winners in the reverse fixture at the WWK Arena back in September, which stood as their only Bundesliga victory until mid-January. The 05ers are unbeaten in four home matches and have won five of the last seven meetings between the sides. Fischer, however, has just one win in eight encounters against Augsburg, while the two coaches have faced each other only once, in a draw.

Team news

Mainz 05: Benedict Hollerbach, Anthony Caci, Robin Zentner and Sota Kawasaki are unavailable. Dominik Kohr returns after suspension.

Augsburg: Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, Chrislain Matsima and Dimitris Giannoulis are expected to miss out, while Kristijan Jakić could return to the squad.

Predicted lineups

Mainz 05 (3-5-2): Batz (GK) - Posch, Bell, Potulski - da Costa, J-S Lee, Sano, Amiri, Widmer - Tietz, Silas 

Augsburg (3-4-2-1): Dahmen (GK) - Arthur Chaves, Schlotterbeck, Banks - Fellhauer, Massengo, Rexhbecaj, Wolf - Rieder, Claude-Maurice - Gregoritsch