Mainz vs Wolfsburg prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2024-01-12 14:30.
After a minute’s silence which will be held across all Bundesliga games this weekend to honour the passing of legendary German footballer Franz Beckenbauer, Mainz will resume their pursuit of survival after clambering into the relegation play-off spot before the winter break. That slight resurgence has come under the tutelage of Jan Siewert, who has galvanised his side to avoid defeat in five of his seven games in caretaker charge (W1, D4).
That run of form ultimately landed him the job on a permanent basis just before Christmas, with this outing serving as his first game in full-time charge. Keeping the pressure off will depend on turning those draws into wins, as ten points from 16 games represents Mainz’s second worst return at this stage of a top-flight season after having seven in 2020/21, yet they did ultimately improve to survive comfortably with 39 points that season.
Whilst Wolfsburg are not quite in deep relegation trouble, a return of two wins across the last ten Bundesliga rounds (W2, D1, L7) leaves them on the brink of fading into mid-table obscurity over the second half of the campaign. Illustrating their below par performances is the fact that 19 points is fewer than they’ve accrued at this stage since registering the same in 2016/17, a campaign which required a successful relegation play-off appearance to stay in the top-flight!
Just one of three Bundesliga sides yet to register an away draw ahead of this round, boss Niko KovaÄŤ may need to work on their all-or-nothing approach after coming out on the wrong side in six of their eight league trips (W2, L6). A visit to Mainz could prove just the tonic though, as Wolfsburg have kept clean sheets in all but one of their last five trips south to the Mewa Arena (W3, D1, L1).
Key battle: Only four Bundesliga players have picked up more yellow cards than Mainz defender Sepp van den Berg’s five, yet he did provide a positive by hitting a rare goal in their draw with Dortmund before the break. His chief concern here will be stopping Wolfsburg’s Jonas Wind, who has scored more goals against Mainz (G4) than he has against any other German club despite making only three appearances against them.
Hot stat: Mainz have scored in both halves of a joint league-low one game this season (6%).