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Bundesliga action returns this weekend as Mainz will host Koln at the Opel Arena on Sunday evening in the12th game week of German top-tier football.
Mainz drew 1-1 against Borussia Monchengladbach in their last game and will feel they should have won the game after being the better side. The draw against Gladbach extended Mainz's unbeaten run to four games across all competitions.
Die Nullfünfer sit seventh in the league with 17 points from 11 games. They are one point behind the European spots and will be looking to make an entry with a win at the weekend.
Like their hosts, Koln also had to settle for a point in their last game as they played out a 2-2 home draw against Union Berlin. They had a mammoth share of possession on the day but often lacked invention in the final third. The visitors have now failed to win any of their last four league games.
Koln sit 11th in the Bundesliga table with 14 points from 11 games. A win on Sunday will see them draw level on points with their hosts and they will be looking to do just that.
Mainz vs Koln Head-to-Head
In the past, there have been 29 meetings between the two sides. Mainz have won 12 of those games, while Koln have won two fewer. The other seven games between the sides have all ended in draws.
The two sides last met in the Bundesliga back in April. The game ended in a 3-2 away victory for Mainz.
Mainz Form Guide (All Competitions): D-W-W-L-L
Koln Form Guide (All Competitions): D-L-W-D-L
Mainz vs Koln Team News
Mainz
Anderson-Lenda Lucoqui and Jeremiah St. Juste are both set to miss out on the game on Sunday due to injuries. Nikas Tauer and Marcus Ingvartsen are doubts for the game.
Injured: Anderson-Lenda Lucoqui, Jeremiah St. Juste
Doubtful: Nikas Tauer, Marcus Ingvartsen
Suspended: None
Koln
Jannes Horn made his recovery from a six-month injury in a friendly last week. The defender may however not be ready to feature on Sunday. Ellyes Skhiri is also a doubt for the game.
Injured: None
Doubtful: Jannes Horn, Ellyes Skhiri
Suspended: None
Mainz vs Koln Predicted XI
Mainz Predicted XI (3-5-2): Robin Zentner; Stefan Bell, Alexander Hack, Moussa Niakhate; Silvan Widmer, Jae-Sung Lee, Dominik Kohr, Jean-Paul Boetius, Aaron Caricol; Jonathan Burkardt, Karim Onisiwo
Koln Predicted XI (4-4-2): Tim Horn; Jonas Hector, Timo Hubers, Rafael Czichos, Benno Schmitz; Dejan Ljubicic, Florian Kainz, Salih Ozcan, Ondrej Duda; Mark Uth, Anthony Modeste
Mainz vs Koln Prediction
Mainz are unbeaten in their last four games across all competitions, winning three of them, drawing once and scoring 10 goals in the process. They also have one of the best defensive records in the league as they have conceded the second-fewest goals.
Koln, on the other hand, have won none of their last four Bundesliga games and one of their last eight. Their struggles could continue on Sunday.
Prediction: Mainz 2-1 Koln
