This first match in Bundesliga is very important for both teams but for different goals. Mainz fighting for survival and they are currently in a position that leads to playoffs for survival, but with seven points more than a team that is directly eliminated. Schalke is at the top of the table and the have again returned to the second place they held after the first part of the championship, where they want to stay. Mainz has managed to keep their form and they are three rounds without defeat, while Schalke is even better with three wins. In the first part of the season it was 2-0 for Schalke.
A series of four consecutive defeats has worried the team of Mainz, after which they fell in the relegation zone and the pressure was bigger in each new game. However, they have managed to break the negative series with a win in Berlin over Hertha, which was their first guest triumph this season. It came in the right time to raise the team's self-confidence, which has played a draw after that in two duels against their direct competitors.
A home draw with Wolfsburg is not that good, while a draw with HSV in the last round is very good and it kept them at seven points just above that team that is on the penultimate place on the table. Goalkeeper F.Muller suddenly got a chance and was a hero because he defended the penalty, and it should be said that they had lesser players on the field due to Balogun’s suspension half an hour before the end, who still cannot play, so he will probably be replaced by Hack.
Probable lineups Mainz 05: F.Muller – Hack, Bell, Diallo – Donati, Holtmann – Latza, S.Serdar, Gbamin – Quaison, Muto
Schalke had a shorter crisis period at the start of the second round of the championship, however, they now played again, as well as most of the first part, when they had a long period without defeats. The new positive series that lasts for three rounds started after a defeat by Bayern in Munich, where they lost with 2-1. With the same result they defeated Hoffenheim in front of their supporters and then made a brilliant match and win in Leverkusen against Bayer, a direct competitor in the fight for the Champions League. They celebrated with 2-0, with the fact that it helped them very much that the host was left without one player early.
In the last round they managed to defeat Hertha minimally and with a lot of problems. The first shooter Gurgarden was absent due to suspension, and it has numb their attack a little bit, while Kehrer was absent in the last line, and Goretzka in midfield. The replacement for Burgstaller was Pjaca and he just scored only goal. Now Gurgervaller returns and perhaps Embolo goes on the bench, and Kehrer has recovered in the meantime.
Probable lineups Schalke 04: Fahrmann – Kehrer, Naldo, Nastasic – D.Caligiuri, M.Meyer, Bentaleb, Oczipka – Pjaca, G,Burgstaller, di Santo
Mainz has been playing somewhat better lately and they are certainly in a position to parry Schalke, which is also in great shape. That is why we expect a good game with goals on both sides of the field.
Pick: both teams to score
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