Mainz vs. Hoffenheim preview: 05ers aiming to kick-start their escape from the drop zone

Preview, team news and predicted lineups as an out-of-sorts Mainz welcome an in-form Hoffenheim to the Mewa Arena on Friday evening (20:30 CET).

Mainz 05 

The opening months of the 2025/26 campaign have been nothing short of torrid for Mainz. Ten games in, there is now a large enough sample size to see the club is in real trouble and in urgent need of solutions. They sit 17th in the table with just a single victory to their name and are kept off bottom spot only by Heidenheim’s inferior goal difference.

Before the international break, Mainz fell to a toothless 1-0 defeat in Frankfurt. Despite the narrow scoreline, they failed to register a shot on target and rarely troubled their opponents, a pattern that has surfaced all too often this season. That result means they have now matched their worst ten-game Bundesliga start, having collected only five points at this stage back in 2020/21.

The numbers don’t inspire much optimism either. Five of their seven losses have come by a single-goal margin, hinting at a serious confidence problem in tight contests. With just one point from their last six fixtures, Mainz are on the brink of equalling their longest winless run under Bo Henriksen.

Henriksen has declared the importance of every game leading up to the winter break:

“This is an important game. We now have five finals in the coming weeks and want to get as many points as possible. Tomorrow is already a final. We want to win, we need a fresh start, a new feeling. It’s the first Friday game – we love Friday games.”

Team news: 

There are no fresh injury concerns following the international break. Captain Nadiem Amiri has been declared fit after missing Germany’s matches with an adductor issue. Anthony Caci remains the only long-term absentee.

TSG Hoffenheim 

Hoffenheim are enjoying an excellent season under Christian Ilzer and sit 6th on 19 points after ten matches. It’s a remarkable turnaround for a side that finished just one place above the relegation playoff last season.

Last time out, they produced a superb 3-1 home win against a strong Leipzig outfit who had been flying themselves. Goals from Albian Hajdari, Tim Lemperle and Grischa Prömel sealed the victory, stretching Hoffenheim’s winning run to four. They now travel to Mainz in search of a club-record fifth straight Bundesliga win.

Ilzer’s squad appears to have found the ideal blend of youthful energy and seasoned experience whilst nailing their recruitment. Exciting talents such as Fisnik Asllani, Bazoumana Toure and Leon Avdullahu have meshed seamlessly with established figures like Andrej Kramarić, Bernardo and Vladimir Coufal, creating a balanced and confident side.

The Hoffenheim head coach has warned his players not to underestimate their hosts:

“We know we have a tough game ahead of us. Even if they’re not doing so well in the standings, I have a very good understanding of this team’s strength. You always have to assume that at some point they’ll break through and deliver an impressive performance. That’s why we also have to be able to raise our game.”

Team news: 

Ilzer reported a near-full squad. Valentin Gendrey featured in a midweek friendly and could make the squad, while Adam Hložek has returned to training.

H-2-H record 

Mainz can take confidence from their historical record in this fixture. They have beaten Hoffenheim more times than any other Bundesliga opponent, winning 15 of the 32 meetings. They have also taken maximum points from the last four encounters at home.

Predicted lineups 

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

Hoffenheim (4-3-1-2): Baumann (GK) – Coufal, Hranac, Hajdari, Bernardo – Prömel, Avdullahu, Burger – Kramarić – Lemperle, Toure