Brighton
Man City
Udinese
Roma
Heerenveen
PSV Eindhoven
Go Ahead
Feyenoord
1. FSV Mainz 05 will host VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (15:30 CET) on matchday 13. The Zerofivers will be aiming for a second straight home victory after defeating 1. FC Köln 5-0 on home turf two weeks ago. This game against Wolfsburg marks the final week of Bundesliga action this year. Following this home game, Mainz will play away to Schalke on Wednesday (20:30 CET) and then host Eintracht Frankfurt the following Sunday (15:30 CET). Head coach Bo Svensson feels his side are ready for the busy week. “It will give us the opportunity to take a huge step forward, both in the table and in terms of our own development. We have nine points that are up for grabs,” said Svensson.
A look at the opponents
VfL Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga title back in 2008/09 under Felix Magath. The key to their success was their strike partnership of Edin Dzeko and Grafite, who got 54 of their 80 goals that season between them. Their next major title came in 2015 with the DFB-Pokal, which they followed with a Supercup win later that year. However, since then they have narrowly avoided relegation on two occasions, finishing 16th in both 2016/17 and 2017/18, though they survived via the relegation play-off on both occasions.
Head-to-head record
Mainz have won eight of the 32 Bundesliga meetings, with Wolfsburg recording 13 victories (11 draws). The two games were one-sided last season. Mainz won 3-0 against VfL at home, but were heavily beaten in the second half of the season 5-0 in Wolfsburg.
Goals galore
13 goals have been scored in Mainz’s last two Bundesliga games, a 5-0 win at home to 1. FC Köln and a 6-2 defeat away to FC Bayern.
Wolves in good form
Wolfsburg are now unbeaten in five league games after defeating VfL Bochum 4-0 last time out. That was their biggest win of the season to date.
A number of different goalscorers
No Wolfsburg player has scored more than three league goals this season, though nine have found the net in total for them. Lukas Nmecha and Yannick Gerhardt are top of their scoring charts with three goals apiece.
Five in a row
Marcus Ingvartsen has scored in each of his last five competitive games and will be hoping to continue his rich vein of form tomorrow.
Two years in Wolfsburg
Anton Stach played for VfL Wolfsburg’s reserves in the fourth division from 2018 to 2020 and then came to Mainz in 2021 via Fürth.
Mainz-born Wolf
Ridle Baku, born in Mainz, moved to Wolfsburg in 2020 from FSV and soon won his first cap for Germany. Since his transfer, Baku has played in all 78 possible Bundesliga games.
Dangerous out wide
Only two Bundesliga sides have delivered more crosses and scored more headers than Mainz, while only Freiburg have recorded more headed shots on goal than FSV.
19 goals conceded
Both teams have conceded 19 goals this season, an average number of goals compared to the rest of the division.
Not many shots when facing counter-attacks
Mainz have only faced six shots from opposition counter-attacks. Only two Bundesliga teams are better off in this regard.
Hard-running Wolves
Wolfsburg have recorded a league-high 251 sprints this season. They average 751 intensive runs per game, another league best.
A heavy defeat
According to xG, Mainz should only have conceded four goals in their 6-2 loss in Munich last weekend.
Referee
Daniel Siebert will be the referee for Saturday’s game. Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn will be his assistants and Michael Bacher the fourth official.
1. FSV Mainz 05 will host VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday (15:30 CET) on matchday 13. The Zerofivers will be aiming for a second straight home victory after defeating 1. FC Köln 5-0 on home turf two weeks ago. This game against Wolfsburg marks the final week of Bundesliga action this year. Following this home game, Mainz will play away to Schalke on Wednesday (20:30 CET) and then host Eintracht Frankfurt the following Sunday (15:30 CET). Head coach Bo Svensson feels his side are ready for the busy week. “It will give us the opportunity to take a huge step forward, both in the table and in terms of our own development. We have nine points that are up for grabs,” said Svensson.
A look at the opponents
VfL Wolfsburg won the Bundesliga title back in 2008/09 under Felix Magath. The key to their success was their strike partnership of Edin Dzeko and Grafite, who got 54 of their 80 goals that season between them. Their next major title came in 2015 with the DFB-Pokal, which they followed with a Supercup win later that year. However, since then they have narrowly avoided relegation on two occasions, finishing 16th in both 2016/17 and 2017/18, though they survived via the relegation play-off on both occasions.
Head-to-head record
Mainz have won eight of the 32 Bundesliga meetings, with Wolfsburg recording 13 victories (11 draws). The two games were one-sided last season. Mainz won 3-0 against VfL at home, but were heavily beaten in the second half of the season 5-0 in Wolfsburg.
Goals galore
13 goals have been scored in Mainz’s last two Bundesliga games, a 5-0 win at home to 1. FC Köln and a 6-2 defeat away to FC Bayern.
Wolves in good form
Wolfsburg are now unbeaten in five league games after defeating VfL Bochum 4-0 last time out. That was their biggest win of the season to date.
A number of different goalscorers
No Wolfsburg player has scored more than three league goals this season, though nine have found the net in total for them. Lukas Nmecha and Yannick Gerhardt are top of their scoring charts with three goals apiece.
Five in a row
Marcus Ingvartsen has scored in each of his last five competitive games and will be hoping to continue his rich vein of form tomorrow.
Two years in Wolfsburg
Anton Stach played for VfL Wolfsburg’s reserves in the fourth division from 2018 to 2020 and then came to Mainz in 2021 via Fürth.
Mainz-born Wolf
Ridle Baku, born in Mainz, moved to Wolfsburg in 2020 from FSV and soon won his first cap for Germany. Since his transfer, Baku has played in all 78 possible Bundesliga games.
Dangerous out wide
Only two Bundesliga sides have delivered more crosses and scored more headers than Mainz, while only Freiburg have recorded more headed shots on goal than FSV.
19 goals conceded
Both teams have conceded 19 goals this season, an average number of goals compared to the rest of the division.
Not many shots when facing counter-attacks
Mainz have only faced six shots from opposition counter-attacks. Only two Bundesliga teams are better off in this regard.
Hard-running Wolves
Wolfsburg have recorded a league-high 251 sprints this season. They average 751 intensive runs per game, another league best.
A heavy defeat
According to xG, Mainz should only have conceded four goals in their 6-2 loss in Munich last weekend.
Referee
Daniel Siebert will be the referee for Saturday’s game. Jan Seidel and Rafael Foltyn will be his assistants and Michael Bacher the fourth official.
