Mainz 05 vs. Augsburg preview: Two closely-matched sides face off
With two points separating them in the Bundesliga table, Mainz and Augsburg are set to go head-to-head in what promises to be a close-fought contest.
Mainz 05
Winning games have proven to be a difficult task for Mainz in recent times. Bo Svensson's side have won only one of their last nine games in all competitions, while six of those games have ended in defeat.
Mainz may have thought they had done enough to salvage a point against Union Berlin last weekend when Marcus Ingvartsen scored from the penalty spot against his former club in the 78th minute, cancelling out Kevin Behren's opener. As it proved, they were only level for six minutes, before Jordan restored Union's lead and ultimately condemned Mainz to a 2-1 defeat.
Die Nullfünfer currently sit in 12th place, and with seven points separating them from the bottom three, they may feel that they are not currently at risk of being dragged into a relegation fight.
Following a commanding 5-2 win over Bochum in their last home match, Mainz will be looking to claim consecutive home victories on Saturday.
Team News
Mainz will be unable to call upon Delano Burgzorg and Jonathan Burkardt due to injury issues, while there is also doubt over the availability of Silvan Widmer and Robin Zentner.
Augsburg
After enduring a seven-game winless league run, Augsburg have experienced an upturn in fortunes in recent weeks, winning two of their previous three Bundesliga games. A 1-0 victory over Borussia Mönchengladbach was followed by a 3-1 away defeat to Freiburg. However, they returned to winning ways last weekend, claiming a narrow 1-0 against Bayer Leverkusen.
Mergim Berisha scored what proved to be the winning goal in the second half, securing Augsburg their first home victory over Leverkusen in the Bundesliga. As a result of the win, Augsburg are sat in 13th place and five points clear of the bottom three. Enrico Enrico Maaßen's side have the chance to leapfrog Mainz in the league table with a victory on Saturday, although their recent away form suggests that may be easier said than done.
The Fuggerstädter have only picked up one point in their last five away games, and they will be looking to avoid a third consecutive away defeat this weekend.
Team News
Ruben Vargas, Andre Hahn and Tobias Strobl are sidelined for the visitors. Irvin Cardona, Reece Oxford and Iago could also miss out, although Ermedin Demirović will return to the squad after serving a one-match suspension.