Mainz 05 vs. Heidenheim preview: Midweek six-pointer at the Mewa Arena

A huge clash at the foot of the Bundesliga table awaits on Tuesday evening as 18th hosts 17th in what both camps will view as a must-win encounter. With potentially season-defining points on the line, the pressure is firmly on Urs Fischer and Frank Schmidt as the relegation battle intensifies.

The home side arrive in encouraging form, having shown clear signs of improvement under Fischer, who remains unbeaten in his first five matches in charge across all competitions. Despite the upturn in performances, domestic rewards have been harder to come by, with Fischer’s lone victory coming in the Conference League whilst league wins are still proving elusive for the 05ers.

Mainz looked particularly impressive at the weekend despite surrendering a two-goal lead away at Union Berlin on Fischer’s return to his former club. For 75 minutes, the visitors were the superior side before Union mounted their comeback. The Fischer blueprint is clearly beginning to take hold, while new signing Philipp Tietz caught the eye on his debut and may prove a crucial addition in addressing Mainz’s attacking woes - especially if his partnership with Benedict Hollerbach continues to develop. However, lingering defensive fragility remains a concern, with confidence still visibly low following Bo Henriksen’s tenure. Fischer will need to eradicate costly mental errors quickly if Mainz are to pull clear of danger.

Fischer has acknowledged the urgency of turning performances into points:

“The game against Union already felt like something of a final, and tomorrow is no different. After that, we’re halfway through the season and we have another 17 finals. Tomorrow isn’t make-or-break either – it’s a marathon, not a sprint. However, we can’t waste any time to start winning games.”

Heidenheim, meanwhile, had sparked hopes of a revival with back-to-back wins in late November and early December, only to end the year with successive defeats that dragged them back into the automatic relegation places.

Frank Schmidt’s side opened the new year with a 2-2 draw at home to Köln, leading on two occasions - including Marvin Pieringer’s spectacular acrobatic finish - but once again failing to see out the result. Despite taking a point, Heidenheim remain the only Bundesliga side yet to keep a clean sheet after 16 matchdays, underlining defensive frailties that continue to undermine their survival bid.

Schmidt has stressed the importance of defensive discipline ahead of Tuesday’s showdown:

“But for both teams, for Mainz as well as for us, it's crucial that we defend well and passionately, don't shy away from any challenge, and show fighting spirit. That's what we want to bring to the pitch tomorrow. And we want to make up for what we missed against Cologne – namely, to maintain a good performance until the final whistle.”

Still searching for their first Bundesliga victory since 20 September, Mainz can take confidence from their home form, having lost just one of their last six matches at the Mewa Arena in all competitions. Heidenheim, by contrast, have won only one of their last six away fixtures. Historically, the visitors hold a slight edge, winning two of the four competitive meetings between the sides, with one draw and one defeat rounding out the record.

Team news 

Mainz 05: Robin Zentner, Philipp Mwene, Anthony Caci, Maxim Leitsch, Andreas Hanche-Olsen and new signing Silas are all set to miss out. Nelson Weiper remains a doubt due to illness.

Heidenheim: Leart Paqarada, Budu Zivzivadze, Hannes Behrens and Frank Feller remain unavailable. There are no fresh injury concerns following the weekend.

Predicted lineups 

Mainz 05 (3-5-2): Batz (GK) - da Costa, Bell, Kohr - Widmer, Amiri, Sano, J-S Lee, Veratschnig - Hollerbach, Tietz 

Heidenheim (4-3-3): Ramaj (GK) - Traore, Mainka, Siersleben, Föhrenbach - Schöppner, Niehues, Dorsch - Ibrahimović, Pieringer, S. Conteh