Mainz 05 vs. Samsunspor Conference League preview: Team news and predicted lineups | OneFootball

With just a single point keeping the two sides inside the top eight, defeat could prove costly for either team. Everything remains to play for on matchday six at the Mewa Arena, where Mainz welcome Turkish outfit Samsunspor with round of 16 qualification on the line.

Mainz arrive showing clear signs of revival under recently appointed head coach Urs Fischer. Following a prolonged spell of poor results and uncertainty stretching into December, the 05ers appear to have rediscovered the combative, hard-working identity that defined them for long spells in recent years.

After a 1-1 draw away in Poznań last Thursday, Mainz then became only the second side this season to take points off Bayern Munich domestically, holding the Bundesliga leaders to an impressive 2-2 draw in Munich on Sunday. Fischer’s side were denied all three points by a late equaliser, but the performance further underlined their upward trajectory. With five teams lurking on nine points, Mainz currently occupy the final top-eight spot after collecting ten points, and progression may hinge on the Swiss coach claiming his first victory in charge.

Fischer has urged his players to embrace the occasion and maintain their resilience:

“Achieving something historic tomorrow, with the advance to the round of 16, is of course something special. But above all, for me tomorrow it's about the team once again showing its strong face and demonstrating what it's capable of."

Former Bochum and Schalke head coach Thomas Reis travels to face familiar opposition with his Samsunspor side, who arrive amid a difficult run of form. The Turkish club are without a win in six matches across all competitions (D3, L3), despite having lost just twice in their opening 20 fixtures prior to December.

Samsunspor won their first three league-phase matches and appeared on course for a comfortable top-eight finish, but have since faltered. A squandered lead in a 2-2 draw with Breiðablik was followed by a 2-1 home defeat to AEK Athens on the previous matchday, setting up a potential shootout with Mainz for direct qualification.

Reis has emphasised the significance of the encounter:

“The Mainz 05 match is like a final for us. If we win, we'll qualify directly for the next round by finishing in the top eight. If we get one point, we'll play in the play-offs. It will be a tough match, but our goal is clear: top eight.”

Mainz may take confidence from the fact that all three of their home victories this season have come in the Conference League, while Urs Fischer is yet to taste defeat against Thomas Reis as a coach (W2, D1). Samsunspor, however, can draw encouragement from their strong away form, having lost just one of their last eight away fixtures in all competitions. Notably, Reis is also unbeaten against Mainz historically (W5, D2).

Team news

Nikolas Veratschnig is suspended for Mainz following his red card in Poznań. Anthony Caci, Philipp Mwene, Maxim Leitsch and Robin Zentner remain sidelined, while Sota Kawasaki is a doubt after being forced off injured at the weekend.

For the visitors, Cherif Ndiaye, Eyüp Aydin, Efe Yiğit Üstün, Celil Yüksel, Afonso Sousa and Bedirhan Çetin are all unavailable.

Predicted lineups

Mainz 05 (3-5-2): Batz (GK) - da Costa, Kohr, Bell - Nordin, Sano, Amiri, Nebel, Widmer - Bøving, Hollerbach 

Samsunspor (4-1-4-1): Kocuk (GK) - Yavru, Borevković, Van Drongelen, Tómasson - Makoumbou - Kılınç, Holse, Ntcham, Musaba - Marius