New year, new luck for the Bullen?
It’s been three weeks since the last first-round matchday in the Bundesliga. Now it’s straight back to business. The winter break was short and there was no need for much physical preparation. Nevertheless, the turn of the year is a new beginning for some teams, while others want to pick up exactly where they left off in 2021.
The Bulls from Leipzig are hoping for improvement. 22 points after 17 matchdays were just enough for the runners-up to finish tenth. That is the worst first-round record since the Saxons have been playing in the Bundesliga. Now they cannot afford to lose many more points if they want to compete in the top flight again next season.
The opposite can be said of Mainz 05. The Rheinhessen team has played its best season in six years. The long relegation battle in pre-season has welded Bo Svensson’s team together.
Mainz, however, showed in the Hinrunde that they can be quite an unpleasant opponent and picked up some unexpected points. Recently, things have not gone well, especially away from home. The Bullen have problems in their own arena and yet our first impulse in this duel between RB Leipzig and Mainz is to bet on a home win.
RB Leipzig – Statistics & current form
It was certainly clear that RB Leipzig would face a difficult season after the departure of Julian Nagelsmann. However, one could still expect the bulls in the extended top group. Perhaps now that Domenico Tedesco has had at least a little preparation with his new team, he will be able to turn things around.
Problems at the Red Bull Arena
Things are not going well at home at all. Two of the last three home games were lost in the Bundesliga. They won against Manchester City, only to lose to Arminia Bielefeld a few days later. The Saxons are a surprise package and that’s why it’s not easy to pick the right odds in the match between RB Leipzig and Mainz.
The last match before Christmas was the home game against Arminia Bielefeld. Of course, RasenBallsport had more of the game, but as often this season, the offensive power was missing. They were beaten 0:2 by one of the candidates for relegation. It’s time to get rid of the home weakness in 2022.
Domenico Tedesco’s team has major personnel problems. Solomon Bonnah, Dani Olmo, Benjamin Henrichs and Nordi Mukiele are in isolation. Emil Forsberg and Marcel Halstenberg are missing due to injury. In addition, Amadou Haidara and Ilaix Moriba are at the Africa Cup with their national teams. Question marks are also behind Konrad Laimer and Yussuf Poulsen.
Predicted line-up of RB Leipzig:
Gulacsi – Simakan, Orban, Gvardiol – Klostermann, Adams, Kampl, Angelino – Nkunku, Szoboszlai – Silva – Coach: Tedesco
Last matches played by RB Leipzig:
1st Bundesliga
12/18 2021 – RB Leipzig 0 – 2 Arminia Bielefeld
12/15 2021 – Augsburg 1 – 1 RB Leipzig
12/11 2021 – RB Leipzig 4 – 1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Champions League Grp. A
12/07 2021 – RB Leipzig 2 – 1 Manchester City
1st Bundesliga
12/03 2021 – Union Berlin 2 – 1 RB Leipzig
Mainz – Statistics & current form
Mainz 05 was one of the positive surprises in the preliminary round. Bo Svensson has managed to put a tactic around his team that fits like a glove. The Rheinhessen team is one of the strongest runners in the top flight and uses this strength for an extreme attacking pressing. However, this style of play is very intense and hard to sustain over 90 minutes.
Away with problems
Away, in particular, the opponents have managed to outplay the Mainzers time and again. The 05ers have lost five of their last six away games in the Bundesliga. Most recently, there were even three defeats in a row away from home. This means that it does not seem appropriate to predict a victory for the visitors in the match between RB Leipzig and Mainz.
Bo Svensson’s team had to travel again before the winter break. Although the journey to Frankfurt was not far, it was enough to have that feeling of an away game. As a result, FSV lost 0:1 in the Rhine-Main derby. The new year would not be the worst time to put the away problems aside now.
In terms of personnel, things are looking much better for Mainz than for RB Leipzig. Moussa Niakhate is the only player who had to go into isolation. Otherwise, Dominik Kohr is out for several weeks due to a thigh injury. Jeremiah St. Juste and Adam Szalai are in rebuilding training and are not yet options on Saturday.
Predicted line-up of Mainz:
Zentner – Nemeth, Bell, Hack – Widmer, Stach, Aaron – Barreiro, Lee – Burkardt, Onisiwo – Coach: Svensson
Last matches played by Mainz:
1st Bundesliga
12/18 2021 – Eintracht Frankfurt 1 – 0 Mainz 05
12/14 2021 – Mainz 05 4 – 0 Hertha Berlin
12/11 2021 – Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Mainz 05
12/04 2021 – Mainz 05 3 – 0 Vfl Wolfsburg
11/26 2021 – VfB Stuttgart 2 – 1 Mainz 05
RB Leipzig – Mainz Direct comparison / H2H balance
The teams of RB Leipzig and FSV Mainz 05 have only faced each other eleven times. The direct comparison speaks in favour of the Bullen with 6:3 victories. Two duels ended in a draw. All eleven matches were played in the Bundesliga. It is interesting to note that the Rheinhessen side have such a poor away record against no other club in the top flight as they have against the Saxons.
It also fits that the Bullen have not scored more goals at home against any other club in the Bundesliga. In five games, the Saxons scored a total of 20 times against Mainz at the Red Bull Arena. The first leg at the start of the season, however, went to Bo Svensson’s team. A goal from Moussa Niakhate was enough for a 1-0 home win.
RB Leipzig – Mainz Tip
The start of the new year is extremely important for RB Leipzig. With a home win, a positive mood should be achieved to attack the international places and maybe even the Champions League. After all, the Bullen have not scored more often against any other club at the Red Bull Arena.
However, there have been two defeats in the last three home games in the Bundesliga and generally the home record of the runners-up is more than mixed. But with Mainz comes a team that has lost five of its last six away games.
However, we don’t dare experiment with over-goals or a handicap. Leipzig are too shorthanded for that. But we think that they have enough quality to win the match. Therefore, we have also decided to play the betting odds on a normal home win between RB Leipzig and Mainz.
