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

Mainz 05 take on Freiburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday, with the hosts hoping to move out of the automatic relegation spots with a positive result.

Freiburg, meanwhile, can potentially move into seventh place with a victory.

Match preview

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Mainz missed a real opportunity to move above Arminia Bielefeld into the relegation playoff position in the table by only drawing 0-0 with rock-bottom Schalke 04 last weekend.

Bo Svensson's side had 19 shots throughout the 90 minutes but could not test Frederik Ronnow often enough, with the Schalke stopper superbly denying Jonathan Burkhardt in the last 10 minutes of the match but otherwise enjoying a quieter game than he may have anticipated.

After superbly gaining 10 points from five matches, Mainz's momentum has run out of steam at precisely the wrong moment, only taking one point from a possible six against Augsburg and Schalke, two sides in and around them in the table.

They are unlikely to find matters any easier against a Freiburg side who can ruthlessly punish any gaps left in defence, with Svensson likely instructing his players to remain patient in order to gain a positive result from the match, especially as a draw could take them above Arminia into the relegation playoff position.

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Freiburg have been on a superb run in recent months, but Christian Streich's side were taught a footballing lesson in their 3-0 defeat at home to RB Leipzig last weekend.

The hosts simply could not get going, with Leipzig's slick possession play on the ball and well-drilled counter-pressing style off it proving too much for them to handle. Yussuf Poulsen demonstrated superb selflessness to square the ball for Christopher Nkunku to tap into an empty net and provide the visitors with a deserved lead heading into the half-time interval.

Julian Nagelsmann's side were in top gear throughout the match, with slick interplay in and around Freiburg's box creating several excellent opportunities. Alexander Sorloth benefitted from Nkunku squaring the ball in a similar manner to which he had scored, before Emil Forsberg sealed his side's fine victory with an accurate strike into the bottom corner from outside of the area.

Streich and his players bounced back from a similarly one-sided defeat to Wolfsburg at the end of January by defeating Borussia Dortmund in their subsequent match, so they are unlikely to be too disheartened ahead of a match against a side they should be able to impose themselves on much more easily.

Team News

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Mainz are set to be without Karim Onisiwo until the end of March after the forward sustained a hip injury.

Otherwise, Svensson appears to have a clean bill of health to choose from, with Robert Glatzel and Robin Quaison vying for starts to freshen up a misfiring attack.

Freiburg, meanwhile, will travel to Mainz without Mark Flekken and Yannik Keitel due to injury, but Kwon Chang-Hoon could be in the matchday squad having returned to training.

Streich is likely to keep faith with the same starting XI which comprehensively lost to Leipzig, although Nils Petersen and Roland Sallai offer differing options in attack.

Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; St Juste, Bell, Niakhate; Da Costa, Barreiro, Kohr, Latza, Mwene; Quaison, Burkhardt

Freiburg possible starting lineup:
Muller; Kubler, Lienhart, Heintz, Gunter; Santamaria, Hofler; Schmid, Grifo; Demirovic, Holer

We say: Mainz 05 1-2 Freiburg

We can envisage Freiburg edging an intriguing encounter, with Mainz's momentum under Svensson slowing in recent weeks.

Onisiwo's energy is a sore miss in the hosts' attack, with Freiburg simply possessing greater goal threats across the pitch.