Mainz 05 vs Schalke 04 Prediction and Preview – 12/02/16
Bundesliga preview – Mainz 05 vs Schalke 04 prediction.
Japanese striker Yoshinori Muto will be out for several weeks with a knee injury sustained in the 1-0 victory at Hannover 96 on Saturday. Loan signing Jhon Cordoba could be given his first start since making his full debut for Mainz against Ingolstadt on 23 January. Coach Martin Schmidt has no other selection issues, absentees Phillipp Klement and Emil Berggreen are on the fringes of the first team squad while veteran midfielder Elkin Soto has not figured since undergoing knee surgery last summer.
There are doubts about the fitness of Eric Choupo-Moting after the Schalke forward was taken off late in the 3-0 win against Wolfsburg last weekend. His replacement on Saturday was 22-year-old Alessandro Schopf who scored within 7 minutes of coming off the bench. Schopf was recently promoted from the B team and will compete with Franco Di Santo for a place in the starting line-up should Choupo-Moting fail his fitness test. Midfielder Marco Hoger is doubtful as he nears a comeback from cruciate ligament injury while German international defender Benedikt Howedes remains sidelined with a hamstring injury.
Possible Line-ups
Mainz 4-2-3-1 formation: Karius; Donati, Balogun, Bell, Bussmann; Baumgartlinger, Latza; Clemens, Malli, Sampeiro; Cordoba
Schalke 4-2-3-1 formation: Fahrmann; Junior, Matip, Neustadter, Kolasinac; Geis, Goretzka; Sane, Meyer, Choupo-Moting; Huntelaar
Statistics
- Mainz have won 5 drawn 2 and lost 3 of their last 10 matches
- Schalke have won 6 drawn 0 and lost 4 of their last 10 matches
- Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Mainz have scored an average of 0.9 goals and conceded an average of 0.8 goals per game
- Over the course of their previous 10 matches, Schalke have scored an average of 1.7 goals and conceded an average of 1 goal per game
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 3 of Mainz’ previous 10 matches
- There have been over 2.5 goals scored in 6 of Schalke’s previous 10 matches
Prediction
Seventh-place Mainz have won two and lost one since the Bundesliga resumed with all three contests decided by the only goal of the game. Martin Schmidt’s side bounced back from the defeat at Ingolstadt with victory over Monchengladbach at Coface Arena before following up with last Saturday’s narrow win at bottom-of-the-league Hannover 96. Mainz have won three and drawn one of the last four home games, conceding just once.
Schalke returned from the winter break to suffer a shock 3-1 defeat at home to relegation-threatened Werder Bremen. Andre Breitenreiter’s men reacted with a 2-0 win at Darmstadt before an emphatic 3-0 home win against Wolfsburg last weekend and remain in contention for the third Champions League spot. Schalke have only failed to score twice in the league this season and the last time they drew a blank was against Koln in early October.
Schalke may have the creativity to steal a win against a Mainz side that has been reliant on the form of its central defensive pairing.
Tips
Schalke to win at 6/4 with bet365
Under 2.5 goals at Evs with bwin
Schalke to win 1-0 at 17/2 with Betvictor
Click here to see more Bundesliga previews, predictions and tips