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Bundesliga | Gameweek 31
Apr 22, 2022 at 7.30pm UK
 
ML

Wolfsburg
5 - 0
Mainz 05

Wind (8', 42'), Kruse (24' pen., 35', 45+2')
FT(HT: 5-0)

Kohr (81'), Hack (82')
Tauer (23')

Preview: Wolfsburg vs. Mainz 05 - prediction, team news, lineups

:Headline: Preview: Wolfsburg vs. Mainz 05 - prediction, team news, lineups:
Sports Mole previews Friday's Bundesliga clash between Wolfsburg and Mainz 05, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Sports Mole

Seeking to bounce back from a six-goal drubbing by Borussia Dortmund, Wolfsburg will welcome Mainz 05 to the Volkswagen Arena for their Bundesliga clash on Friday.

The visitors, meanwhile, will be looking to end a four-game winless run and claim their first away victory in any competition since October last year.


Match preview

Wolfsburg were unable to follow up their 4-0 win over Arminia Bielefeld as they were thrashed 6-1 away at Borussia Dortmund last weekend.

Die Wolfe were condemned to their heaviest defeat since October 2019 when BVB scored six goals before the hour mark, with Ridle Baku then netting a consolation goal nine minutes from time.

Despite losing four of their last five matches, in which they have conceded 14 goals, Wolfsburg sporting director Jorg Schmadtke has publicly stated that head coach Florian Kohfeldt does not need to fear for his job.

With just four Bundesliga games remaining, Wolfsburg sit 13th in the table and six points clear of the relegation playoff position, which is currently occupied by Stuttgart, who Die Wolfe lock horns with at the end of this month.

Wolfsburg head into Friday's game having won only four of their last 13 league games on home soil, though three of these victories have been in their last five.

Securing all three points at the Volkswagen Arena would see them claim back-to-back home victories for the first time since August 2021 and for the first time under the tutelage of Kohfeldt.

Mainz's search for their first win in April goes on after they played out a goalless draw at home against Stuttgart last weekend.

Bo Svensson's men failed to register a single shot on target but they did manage to keep their 10th clean sheet of the campaign, with league leaders Bayern Munich (11) the only Bundesliga side to have kept more so far this term.

The 05ers had an outside chance of qualifying for Europe, but their hopes now seem all but over as they are ninth in the table and eight points behind Union Berlin in sixth place.

Mainz head to Wolfsburg with the second-worst away record in the German top flight this season, having accumulated only eight points from 15 games on the road; only basement club Greuther Furth (three) have picked up fewer away points.

Svensson's side have failed to win any of their last 10 away league matches but they have beaten Wolfsburg in their last two meetings, winning 3-2 at the Volkswagen Arena in May last season and 3-0 on home soil in December this campaign, so they can take some confidence into Friday's contest.

Wolfsburg Bundesliga form:
  • W
  • L
  • L
  • L
  • W
  • L

Mainz 05 Bundesliga form:
  • L
  • W
  • D
  • L
  • L
  • D


Team News

Wolfsburg will be without Paulo Otavio, William (both ACL), Luca Waldschmidt (ankle), Maxence Lacroix (muscle), Micky van de Ven (hamstring) and Renato Steffen (knock) due to injury, though the latter two are hoping to return before the end of the month.

Kevin Mbabu replaced the injured Lacroix at half time against Dortmund and slotted into the back three, which is where the Swiss international could start on Friday alongside Sebastiaan Bornauw and John Brooks.

Top scorer Lukas Nmecha, who has netted eight league goals this term, is set to lead the line and he could be supported in attack by January additions Max Kruse and Jonas Wind.

As for Mainz, Alexander Hack (ankle), Jeremiah St Juste (shoulder), and Lee Jae-sung (knee) are all ruled out with injuries while Delano Burgzorg continues to recover from a heart condition.

In the absence of Hack and St Juste, Niklas Tauer is set to be handed another start in the back three alongside Stefan Bell and Moussa Niakhate, while Silvan Widmer and Aaron Caricol could operate as wing-backs.

Karim Onisiwo, who has scored two goals in his last three away games, is expected to start in attack with Jonathan Burkardt, who has found the net 10 times in the Bundesliga this term.

Wolfsburg possible starting lineup:
Casteels; Mbabu, Bornauw, Brooks; Baku, Schlager, Arnold, Gerhardt; Wind, Kruse; Nmecha

Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; Nemeth, Bell, Niakhate; Widmer, Stach, Kohr, Boetius, Caricol; Onisiwo, Burkardt


We say: Wolfsburg 1-1 Mainz 05

Wolfsburg and Mainz have been far from their best in recent weeks but both clubs will fancy their chances of returning to winning ways on Friday.

Having said that, there is little to separate these two teams at present and they may be forced to share the spoils on this occasion.



Top tip

Our expert tipster partners at Sporita.com are predicting over 1.5 goals in this match. Click here to find out what else they are predicting for this game and for more of their tried-and-tested football tips.Over 1.5:data




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Premier League Table
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Bayern MunichBayern86202972220
2RB Leipzig86201431120
3Bayer LeverkusenB. Leverkusen94412015516
4Union BerlinUnion Berlin843195415
5Freiburg85031311215
6Eintracht FrankfurtFrankfurt84221612414
7Stuttgart93421716113
8Borussia DortmundDortmund84131514113
9Werder Bremen83321416-212
10Heidenheim83141211110
11Borussia MonchengladbachBorussia M'bach83141113-210
12Augsburg83141219-710
13Mainz 05Mainz82331213-19
14Wolfsburg82241516-18
15Hoffenheim82241317-48
16St Pauli8125511-65
17Holstein Kiel80261023-132
18VfL BochumVfL Bochum8017722-151
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