Mainz – Stuttgart
Bundesliga Round 4
Mainz, September 16, 15:30 CET
Mainz has a good opportunity to take advantage of the serious defensive problems that Stuttgart has had during the last months in the matches away from home, in Bundesliga Round 4 on Saturday. However, an uncertain duel is expected, because the home team is in bad shape and has yet to win a game in the German championship this season.
It is obvious that this Stuttgart team often pays the price of an attacking approach in matches against favorites and away from home. This team achieved convincing victories over Freiburg (5:0) and Bochum (5:0) – but was defeated 5:1 away to RB Leipzig, in a match played on August 25. Of course, Stuttgart will appear in Mainz with the role of a slight favorite, since they are in the upper part of the table - but, in the fight for victory, it would be said that the teams have equal chances.
Also, at the end of July, in an important preparatory match, Stuttgart lost to Borussia in Monchengladbach, 5:1. In the last two months, since July 15, this team has played ten games - and only once did it happen that less than three goals were scored in the match! A scenario with at least three goals in the game should be expected this weekend as well. A week ago, Stuttgart beat the Swiss St. Gallen 8:3 in a friendly match – and they don't plan to change the system and approach to the game in Mainz either. So the prediction of the number of goals in the match is a much safer option than predicting the final outcome.
In May, at the end of the previous season, Stuttgart won in Mainz 4:1. That defeat hurt the hosts, who will play with a special motive, fighting and to win. When it comes to their H2H duels, in three of the last four matches both teams managed to score at least one goal.
Mainz is burdened with injuries to five players, German striker Burkardt will not play due to a knee problem, nor Norwegian defender Hanche-Olsen; but also the team captain, Swiss defender Widmer... On the other hand, Stuttgart is in a better situation, and besides the injured Nartey, Undav and Vagnoman, Ulrich is also out of the team due to illness.
It is expected that both teams will have a large number of counterattack chances already in the first half, and that the tempo of the game will be at a satisfactory level. Mainz fans haven't seen at least three goals in a game at their stadium since May and since the aforementioned duel with Stuttgart - and it's time to change that.
As the host, Mainz beat Stuttgart for the last time back in 2018 (1:0), and since then the visitors have celebrated twice... It's always about uncertain matches, and this September, it's easy to at least expect an open game and mindset to play for a win, when it comes to both teams.