Mainz 05 will be looking for just their second win in six matches when they welcome Hertha Berlin to the Opel Arena in the Bundesliga on Tuesday evening.
The sides are separated by six places in the table due to their differing success so far this campaign, but with just three points between them, the outlook could drastically change depending on the outcome.
Match preview
Despite the lack of wins in recent weeks for Mainz, performance levels have remained high and a successful opening to the campaign has not been damaged ahead of the upcoming winter break.
With the Carnival side usually fighting it out with the likes of Hertha at the wrong end of the table in most years, occupying eighth place heading into matchday 16 in the week is a fantastic achievement for manager Bo Svensson and his side.
The Danish boss will be eager to head into the winter break with a few more points though, to ease any nerves of a potential relegation fight once Die Nullfunfer return to action in the new year.
Mainz were perhaps unfortunate to come away with nothing last time out on Saturday however, as they put in a display worthy of showcasing how far they have come under Svensson's guidance over the calendar year, when they pushed leaders Bayern Munich all the way at the Allianz Arena, before eventually falling to a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Karim Onisiwo had netted just his second league goal of the season midway through the first half to give his side a deserved lead at half time, but eventually the drastic difference in quality between themselves and the giants told in the second half.
However, following just one defeat in their last nine meetings with Tuesday's visitors, as well as an impressive start to the season overall, Svensson and his side will be confident of achieving a return to winning ways at the Opel Arena.
Meanwhile, Hertha recorded their first win in six matches on Saturday, in what was also the first victory under new manager Tayfun Korkut since his appointment.
His predecessor Pal Dardai had been sacked following a run of four games without a win, in yet another inconsistent start to the season that has left Hertha fighting it out at the wrong end of the table once more.
With Stuttgart and Augsburg below them in the table picking up wins in recent weeks, it proved all the more vital that The Old Lady picked up three points against Arminia Bielefeld at the weekend, as defeat would have left them in the relegation playoff spot.
Stevan Jovetic and Davie Selke netted in a thoroughly deserved 2-0 win over their fellow relegation candidates though, and instead means Hertha head into matchday 16 in 14th place and two points above Augsburg in that playoff position.
As previously mentioned, a disappointing start to the campaign could look a whole lot better were Korkut able to lead his side to back-to-back victories on Tuesday, with three points pulling them level with their opponents that have seemingly enjoyed a great start to their Bundesliga season.
- W
- D
- D
- L
- W
- L
- L
- D
- L
- D
- D
- W
Team News
With no fresh injury concerns following the defeat in Munich, Mainz head into Tuesday's clash with just three injury absentees to contend with.
Jeremiah St Juste, Anderson Lucoqui and Dominik Kohr remain out until January, so Svensson has the same squad to pick from.
A solid performance and a successful campaign so far mean the Danish boss is unlikely to make too many changes at this stage, with the only possible changes involving the likes of Jean-Paul Boetius, Kevin Stoger and Marcus Ingvartsen pushing for starts.
As for the visitors, an excellent performance and result on Saturday means Korkut could well name an unchanged starting lineup for Tuesday's trip to Mainz.
As a result, Jovetic and Ishak Belfodil should lead the line once more, with Marco Richter and Suat Serdar supporting them in attack.
Spare goalkeeper Rune Jarstein remains out along with a quartet of defenders - Lukas Klunter, Marton Dardai, Peter Pekarik and Maximilian Mittelstadt.
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Zentner; Bell, Hack, Niakhate; Widmer, Barreiro, Lee, Boetius, Martin; Onisiwo, Burkardt
Hertha Berlin possible starting lineup:
Schwolow; Zeefuik, Boyata, Stark, Plattenhardt; Darida, Ascacibar; Richter, Serdar; Belfodil, Jovetic
We say: Mainz 05 2-1 Hertha Berlin
We are predicting Mainz to return to winning ways here due to their strong home record and generally strong start to the season overall.
Hertha will be full of confidence following their debut win under their new boss on Saturday, but an inconsistent campaign so far means they often struggle to put together a long streak.
body check tags ::
Previews by email
