Mainz 05 vs Eintracht Frankfurt

The stakes are high for Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt as they lock horns in a must-win Bundesliga clash at the Mewa Arena.

Despite remaining in contention for European qualification, an underwhelming six-game winless Bundesliga streak (D3, L3), bookended by a thumping 3-0 defeat at Bayern Munich last time out, has dashed Mainz’s lofty ambitions. Defensive frailties have marred Bo Henriksen’s side lately, with the hosts conceding 2+ goals in three consecutive. Nonetheless, they commenced this round only a point adrift of the top six, largely thanks to an impressive 11-game unbeaten Bundesliga run on home turf (W6, D5). Remarkably, that’s the longest ongoing run of all top-flight teams and the club’s joint-record during one Bundesliga season. Another unbeaten outing would break Mainz’s outright record, yet just one win from their last nine meetings with Frankfurt doesn’t bode well (W1, D4, L4). 

Visiting Eintracht Frankfurt recovered from a two-game winless streak (D1, L1), which featured a 1-0 home loss to Tottenham and, in turn, Europa League quarter-final elimination, with a superb 4-0 home triumph against RB Leipzig last weekend. That victory cemented Frankfurt’s top-three status, bringing them closer to locking down one of the top-three spots in the Bundesliga for the first time in the 21st century. However, consistency has been an issue for Dino Toppmoller’s side lately as they’ve alternated between winning (W3) and not (D1, L1) across their last five league outings. Worryingly for Die Adler fans, the visitors have only won once in six away league matches in the second half of the season (D3, L2).