Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Mainz 05 preview: Burkardt set for Mainz reunion

Preview, team news and predicted lineups as Dino Toppmöller’s Eintracht Frankfurt host Bo Henriksen’s Mainz 05 in the Rhine-Main derby at Deutsche Bank Park on Sunday evening.

Eintracht Frankfurt 

Eintracht Frankfurt enter the derby sitting eighth after nine Bundesliga games, having slipped down the table following a 1-1 draw away to struggling Heidenheim last weekend. Toppmöller’s side have been an entertaining but inconsistent watch this season – prolific going forward with 22 goals, yet leaky at the back with 19 conceded, the second-worst defensive record in the division behind Augsburg.

Die Adler return home after their midweek European trip to Naples, where they earned a disciplined 0-0 draw against Italian champions Napoli – a performance that offered signs of defensive improvement. Toppmöller will hope that display can serve as a foundation for greater stability in the league.

Sunday’s fixture adds extra spice as summer signing Jonathan Burkardt, currently the Bundesliga’s second-top scorer, faces his former club for the first time. The forward’s electric form – recently earning him the Bundesliga Player of the Month award – makes him one to watch in this clash.

However, Frankfurt’s recent home form remains a concern, with just one win from their last five games in all competitions and 13 goals conceded during that stretch. Toppmöller will be desperate to set things right in front of their home crowd.

Team news: 

Can Uzun, Oscar Højlund and Elias Baum are unavailable for Frankfurt. 

Mainz 05 

Mainz’s domestic woes are no secret. With only one win in nine league games, Henriksen’s men sit 17th in the table with five points, ahead of only Heidenheim. However, their 1-1 draw at home to Werder Bremen last weekend at least halted a run of defeats and hinted at some renewed resilience.

The 05ers come into this one on the back of a morale-boosting 2-1 win over Fiorentina in the UEFA Conference League on Thursday, sealed by a dramatic 95th-minute Jae-Sung Lee header. That victory could prove a crucial turning point for a side in desperate need of confidence.

While wins have been hard to come by, Mainz can take encouragement from the fact that their only league victory so far came away from home – a 4-1 success at Augsburg. If they can replicate the grit and intensity shown against Fiorentina, a result in Frankfurt is certainly within reach.

Henriksen has challenged his side to rediscover their trademark edge:

“We now know what we have to do to win a game. Then it’s not easy to play against us. It can’t be easy to play against Mainz 05. It has to be tough. That’s our DNA and we have to bring that to the pitch in Frankfurt on Sunday.”

Team news: 

Anthony Caci and Maxim Dal remain sidelined, but there are no new injury concerns from Thursday’s match. Stefan Bell is expected to return to the squad.

H-2-H record 

Frankfurt hold a slight advantage over the last five meetings, with two wins and two draws, while Mainz claimed an impressive 3-1 victory at Deutsche Bank Park in December 2024. Interestingly, Bo Henriksen is unbeaten against Frankfurt, whereas Toppmöller has managed just one win from four encounters with Mainz.

Predicted lineups 

Eintracht Frankfurt (3-4-2-1): Zetterer (GK); Collins, Koch, Theate; Kristensen, Chaibi, Larsson, Brown; Doan, Götze; Burkardt 

Mainz 05 (3-4-2-1): Zentner (GK); da Costa, Hanche-Olsen, Kohr; Mwene, Sano, Amiri, Widmer; Nebel, Lee; Hollerbach