Mainz vs Bayer Leverkusen prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2023-09-29 13:30.
Despite Mainz achieving top-half finishes in their previous two full seasons under Bo Svensson, this campaign has been a disaster so far as they sit bottom of the Bundesliga with just one point from five games (D1, L4). Painfully, the Rhineland-Palatinate outfit have had golden opportunities to increase that tally, seeing two points dropped against ten-man Eintracht Frankfurt, failing to score two penalties away at Union Berlin and ultimately losing 2-1 last time out at Augsburg – who also had a man sent off – having taken the lead inside six minutes.
Facing Bayer Leverkusen next isn’t what the doctor ordered, but Svensson’s personal record against Die Werkself isn’t bad at all (W2, D1, L2). The two victories – both 3-2 – came within the last three encounters, including twice coming from behind to stunningly triumph late on in February 2022. However, Mainz weren’t able to name a full bench against Augsburg due to injuries, so expectations will be tempered about achieving a shock result.
While their hosts search for their first league win of 2023/24, Leverkusen are hoping that their run without defeat can continue (W4, D1). Head coach Xabi Alonso must be hugely encouraged by the fact that his side have always responded when conceding this season, coming from behind twice to earn a priceless point at Bayern Munich, as well as hammering Darmstadt (5-1) and Heidenheim (4-1) after being pegged back.
Although Bayern have since risen to the top of the league courtesy of their superior goal difference, few expected Leverkusen to be pushing the perennial title winners quite as hard as they are. Alonso has only faced Mainz once as a coach, but ahead of the trip to the MEWA ARENA, the 41-year-old may draw inspiration from the corresponding fixture in 2022/23 that ended 3-0 to the visitors.
Players to watch: Lee Jae-sung assisted Leandro Barreiro’s strike in Mainz’s win at Leverkusen last season and has scored one of the team’s four league goals this term to earn their only point so far. For Alonso’s men, it’s simply impossible to ignore Victor Boniface’s impressive start in Germany. He has netted six times in his first five Bundesliga matches – and in all three of those goalscoring appearances, he has bagged in both the first and second half.
Hot stat: The last time Leverkusen scored away from home in the Bundesliga and lost was in October last year.