Union Berlin vs Mainz prediction: GERMANY: Bundesliga betting tips on match 2026-01-09 14:30.
[p]A familiar face looks to stifle Union Berlin’s bid to join the race for European qualification, as Urs Fischer – who guided Union to the UEFA Champions League – returns in charge of bottom-of-the-table Mainz.[/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]Union Berlin return to Bundesliga action with one eye firmly on the European places, as successive victories before Christmas left them just five points adrift of the top-six. Union needed a 91st-minute winner to beat Cologne 1-0 last time out, and that presents them with the chance to win three successive league games for the first time since August 2023. Visiting manager Fischer was in charge the last time they achieved that, yet recent history suggests Die Eisernen will struggle to get one over their former boss here as they’ve lost their last three Bundesliga home games against teams beginning the matchday bottom of the table![/p]
[p]Fischer oversaw a positive start to his Mainz tenure before the winter break, avoiding defeat in all four games across all competitions (W1, D3), with two of those draws coming in Bundesliga action. The 05ers sit bottom of the table regardless and six points from safety, with their eight-point haul their second-lowest at this stage in Bundesliga history, beating only 2020/21. Mainz survived that season, serving as one of only three times that a side have avoided the drop with a single-digit points tally after 15 games, a feat they also achieved in 2023/24, so count them out at your own peril![/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Mainz have won just one of their 12 Bundesliga matches against Union (D4, L7), losing each of their last five away H2Hs by a 15-4 aggregate scoreline. [/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Only Wolfsburg (53) have conceded more home league corners than Union this season (43).[/p]
[p]A joint-league high six of Union’s eight home league games this season saw both teams score.[/p]
[p]Mainz have failed to score in a league-high eight games this season. [/p]
[p]Mainz are winless across their last seven away games (D2, L5), scoring just four goals.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Andrej Ilić has six assists in 14 Bundesliga appearances for Union this season, including one in his last match on home soil. Four of Benedict Hollerbach’s last seven goals have opened the scoring, including in last season’s corresponding fixture, albeit for Union rather than current club Mainz![/p]
[p]Union are still without Robert Skov, while Mainz are without a number of key players, most notably Phillipp Mwene. Â [/p]
[p]For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]After claiming successive wins, backing Union to win here seems logical, and adding the over 2.5 goals scored market could be a smart decision.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Nathan Evans[/i][/p]