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Mainz and Bochum will trade tackles for three points in a Bundesliga matchday 19 fixture at the Mewa Arena on Saturday.
A solitary point separates the two sides in the table, with the hosts currently occupying the 10th spot on 24 points, with Bochum directly beneath them.
Mainz fell to a 4-1 defeat away to RB Leipzig in their last league fixture on 8 January. Alexander Hack's early red card put extra pressure on his side and Andre Silva starred with a brace to guide the home side to a comfortable victory.
Bochum secured maximum points with a narrow 1-0 home win over Wolfsburg. Milos Pantovic scored the winning goal 20 minutes into the second half.
Mainz vs Bochum Head-to-Head
Saturday's hosts have seven wins from their last 12 matches against Bochum, with three games ending in a draw while the visitors were victorious on two occasions.
Their most recent meeting came on matchday two of the current campaign. Goals from Gerrit Holtmann and Sebastian Polter helped Mainz secure a 2-0 victory in August.
The hosts are on a poor run of form that has seen them win just two league games since the November international break, thus derailing their European aspirations. Bochum's return of three wins and a draw from their last five Bundesliga matches has helped them steer clear of the relegation zone.
Mainz form guide: L-L-W-L-W
Bochum form guide: W-L-L-D-W
Mainz vs Bochum Team News
Mainz
Niklas Tauer (groin), Marcus Ingvartsen (groin), Adam Szalai (neck), Dominik Kohr (tendon) and Jerry St. Juste (shoulder) are all unavailable due to injuries.
Alexander Hack will sit out the game due to his red card against Leipzig while Moussa Niakhate is out with COVID-19.
Injuries: Niklas Tauer, Marcus Ingvartsen, Adam Szalai, Dominik Kohr, Jerry St. Juste
Suspended: Alexander Hack
COVID-19: Moussa Niakhate
Bochum
Danny Blum (muscle), Simon Zoller (ACL) and Paul Grave (shoulder) are all unavailable due to injuries. Konstantinos Stafylidis is in self-isolation after testing positive for COVID-19.
Injuries: Danny Blum, Simon Zoller, Paul Grave
Suspended: None
COVID-19: Konstantinos Stafylidis
Mainz vs Bochum Predicted XI
Mainz Predicted XI (3-5-1-1): Robin Zentner (GK); David Nemeth, Daniel Brosinki, Stefan Bell; Aaron Caricol, Jae-sung Lee, Anton Stach, Leandro Barreiro, Silvan Widmer; Karin Onisiwo; Jonathan Burkhardt
Bochum Predicted XI (4-3-3): Manuel Riemann (GK); Danilo Soares, Maxim Leitsch, Vasilis Lampropoulos, Cristian Gamboa; Milos Pantovic, Anthony Losilla, Elvis Rexhbecaj; Takuma Asano, Sebastian Polter, Gerrit Holtmann
Mainz vs Bochum Prediction
Neither side has sparked in attack this season, especially the visitors (who rank among the three lowest scorers in the league). However, their close spot in the table means they will both go all out for the win.
Bochum have struggled on their travels this season but we are backing Die Unabsteigbaren to leave Mainz with a point in a low-scoring draw.
Prediction: Mainz 1-1 Bochum
