The number two side in the second half of the season host Bremen

1. FSV Mainz 05 are unbeaten in seven games in the Bundesliga and have picked up as many points as in the entire first half of the season. They will face SV Werder Bremen on Saturday (15:30 CEST) in the MEWA ARENA and want to put in another strong performance to continue their run. This is certainly not an easy task against SVW, who have the league’s top scorer in Niclas Füllkrug and are on course to stay in the league despite four games without a win.

Already on Thursday, only a few tickets were still available for the match. “I am extremely pleased that the stadium will be full. The boy have earned it, but a sold-out stadium also puts the onus on us, because we want everyone to come back,” said head coach Bo Svensson at the press conference.

Stats and Facts on #M05SVW

A strong run

1. FSV Mainz are unbeaten in seven league games, which is currently longer than any other Bundesliga side, and have picked up 17 of a possible 21 points (5W, 2D), resulting in a total of 40 points. The Zerofivers will enter their 15th year in the Bundesliga next summer, and Svensson’s side may even be back playing European football for the first time in seven years. The Mainz team have reduced the gap to sixth place from 11 points to one point in the second half of the season!

A strong second half of the season

Mainz 05 finished the first half of the season in 12th place with 20 points, their lowest position of the season. FSV have won more times in the nine games of the second half of the season (six times) than in the entire first half of the season in 17 games (five times) and have already picked up the same number of points. In the table for the second half of the season, FSV are in second place behind Borussia Dortmund and ahead of FC Bayern Munich.

40-point mark quickly reached

The first aim of the season for both teams is to stay in the league. Mainz have achieved this with 40 points, while Bremen are on the right track despite four games without a win: SVW have already picked up as many points (31) as they did when they were relegated in the 2020/21 season, and the gap from them to the relegation zone is still a reassuring nine points. However, the Bremen side should not take it too easy, since two years ago they picked up only one point from their last eight games.

Never in the bottom third of the table

Neither club has been in any real danger of relegation at any point this season, with both Mainz 05 and SV Werder never having been in the bottom third of the table on any matchday. FSV’s highest position was fourth place on matchday three, their lowest 12th (after matchday 20). Bremen, who were promoted last season, have fluctuated between fifth (matchday nine) and 11th place.

Balance between attack and defence

The Zerofivers have improved enormously both in attack and defence compared to the first half of the season: Up top, they have made better use of their chances in the second half of the season (second-best in shot conversion rate behind Dortmund), and at the back, Mainz are making it difficult for their opponents with a lot of distance covered and strength in the tackle (only two goals conceded in the last five games). The last performance in Leipzig was almost perfect (3-0): Mainz ran 8 kilometres more, were better in their duels (55%) and had the better chances (xG 3.0 to 0.7).

Two top scorers

Mainz have only gone without scoring on four occasions, and in the last 12 games the Zerofivers have always scored. FSV have two top scorers in the squad in Karim Onisiwo and Marcus Ingvartsen, who have both set personal records with nine goals. In Mainz’s Bundesliga history, there have only been two seasons in which two players have reached double figures in goals: 2010/11 (Andre Schürrle and Sami Allagui) and most recently in 2013/14 (Shinji Okazaki and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting).

Füllkrug in an illustrious circle

After years of dominance by Robert Lewandowski, the Bundesliga is looking for a new top scorer. The current leader is Bremen’s Niclas Füllkrug, although he has only scored twice in the last eight games. He has a total of 15 goals.

Officials

Benjamin Brand will take charge of Saturday’s game at the MEWA ARENA. His assistants are Thomas Stein and Sascha Thielert, while Florian Exner will be fourth official. Benjamin Cortus and Marco Achmüller are on VAR duty.