Preview: FSV Mainz 05 | OneFootball

With three matchdays of the season remaining, Eintracht are on course for UEFA Champions League qualification.

How things stand

The richly deserved 4-0 success over Leipzig on Saturday evening consolidated Eintracht’s place in third in the Bundesliga standings. “That was a statement win, we’re proud of it,” said head coach Dino Toppmöller afterwards.

Two-goal hero Ansgar Knauff was equally satisfied: “We’re going to do everything to round off the final few weeks successfully. We’re in a good position.”

Eintracht’s path to UEFA Champions League qualification

The Eagles could secure a top-four berth away to Mainz on Saturday, but are dependent on results elsewhere to do so.

If Eintracht lose …

If Eintracht draw…

If Eintracht win, and …

Away struggles in Mainz

Eintracht have only won one of their 16 Bundesliga visits to Mainz, on 9 January 2021, losing six and drawing the other nine. That gives the Eagles a success rate of just six percent at the MEWA ARENA, which is their lowest away quota against any current top-flight team.

Indeed, Mainz are unbeaten in their last 11 home league games overall, a sequence that has equalled a club record set under Thomas Tuchel in 2009/10.

Full focus

Having said that, Mainz are not currently in a rich vein of form. They are winless in their last six Bundesliga assignments, drawing three and losing three.

By way of contrast, Toppmöller’s charges have collected 13 points across the same period and have kept clean sheets in their last three consecutive games. The latter statistic equals a club record, as does the team’s haul of 16 wins after 31 rounds of fixtures.

Nevertheless, Toppmöller is eager for more, given that his side lost 3-1 at Deutsche Bank Park in the reverse fixture this season: “Our full focus is on the game in Mainz; we’ve got a score to settle with them.”

Furthermore, the Eagles could secure automatic qualification for the Champions League via their Bundesliga placing for the first time ever.

More records in sight

Kevin Trapp missed the home game against Mainz in December due to a cold, but has been back at full fitness for the last three weeks. The captain’s run of three straight clean sheets not only helped him overtake Dr. Peter Kunter’s Bundesliga best-mark, but his new total of 61 competitive shut-outs has equalled the Eintracht record.

The 34-year-old could become the outright holder this weekend but must first keep out the likes of Jonathan Burkardt, who is Mainz’s leading marksman this term with 15 Bundesliga goals, even if he is currently on a four-game drought without finding the target.

The forward is one of a league-low ten different scorers for Mainz this season, which might explain their recent struggles. Eintracht likewise have a 15-goal talisman in the shape of the ever-reliable Hugo Ekitiké, but have a total of 16 different scorers in 2024/25. High time for a couple of them to add to their tally on Saturday evening.