1. FSV Mainz vs. Eintracht Frankfurt preview: First Mewa Arena reunion for Jonathan Burkardt | OneFootball

With pride on the line in the Rhine-Main derby and Jonathan Burkardt set for his first return to Mainz since his summer departure, Sunday’s encounter carries significant weight. Both sides remain in need of crucial points as the Bundesliga season edges towards its decisive phase.

1. FSV Mainz 05

While Mainz still have work to do in their bid to steer clear of relegation trouble, they head into the weekend in solid form, having suffered just one defeat in their last eight league outings. However, three draws in their previous five matches have slightly hindered their momentum, leaving them 13th in the table on 27 points and still glancing nervously over their shoulder.

They secured a vital win away at fellow strugglers Werder Bremen last time out in the league, before turning their attention to European competition midweek. Hosting Sigma Olomouc in the second leg of their UEFA Conference League Round of 16 tie, Mainz delivered a composed 2-0 victory. Second-half goals from Stefan Posch and Armindo Sieb ensured progression to a historic first-ever European quarter-final.

Head coach Urs Fischer remains focused despite the midweek success:

“Wins do you good. That sense of confidence and belief carries forwards. We do also have to move on from Thursday and get into the mindset of focusing on our day-to-day business in the Bundesliga. Still, we’re heading into the game with confidence, which we’ll need.”

Mainz’s recent home form has been particularly impressive. They have lost just one of their last 12 matches at the MEWA Arena across all competitions, a run stretching back to November 2025.

Team news: Nadiem Amiri, Silas, Benedict Hollerbach, Robin Zentner and Andreas Hanche-Olsen remain sidelined. 

Eintracht Frankfurt

Eintracht Frankfurt continue to adapt well under new head coach Albert Riera, losing just one of his first six Bundesliga matches in charge. The Spaniard has quickly instilled greater defensive organisation, with his side keeping four clean sheets during that period. They currently sit 7th in the table, seven points adrift of the top six.

That defensive improvement was evident in their narrow victory over Heidenheim last time out. While not a particularly fluent attacking display, Arnaud Kalimuendo’s early second-half strike proved decisive, allowing Frankfurt to lean on their newfound solidity to secure all three points.

Despite his often colourful press conferences, Riera’s approach on the pitch has been pragmatic - prioritising control and results over chaos - something that has brought a degree of stability following the tenure of Dino Toppmöller.

Riera hinted at a measured approach ahead of Sunday’s clash:

“Ideally, we want to score a lot of goals and not concede any. We could spend days discussing what it means to play well in football. For me, in short, it’s about attacking and defending, not conceding any goals and scoring a lot of goals. We’re probably going to need to be patient again on Sunday.”

However, Frankfurt’s away form remains a concern. They have managed just one win from their last 14 matches on the road in all competitions, a run dating back to September 2025.

Team news: Robin Koch is suspended, while Kauã Santos and Rasmus Kristensen are unavailable through injury.

H-2-H record

Frankfurt edged the reverse fixture 1-0 at Deutsche Bank Park in November, with Ritsu Dōan’s late strike proving decisive. Mainz’s recent record in this fixture is underwhelming, with just one win from their last 11 meetings with Frankfurt. However, they can take encouragement from the fact that Frankfurt have not won away at Mainz since 2021.

Predicted lineups

1. FSV Mainz 05 (3-3-2-2): Batz (GK) - da Costa, Posch, Kohr - Widmer, Sano, Mwene - Nebel, Jae-Sung Lee - Becker, Tietz 

Eintracht Frankfurt (4-3-3): Zetterer (GK) - Collins, Amenda, Theate, Brown - Dōan, Larsson, Chaïbi - Kalimuendo, Burkardt, Bahoya