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Stuttgart host Mainz at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in the Bundesliga on Saturday for their first top-flight game of the 2023 calendar year.
With just 14 points in 15 games, the Reds are down in 16th position in the league standings and facing relegation from the top flight.
The Baden-Wurttemberg outfit have won only thrice in their campaign so far, but interestingly, all three of their victories have come in the last six games alone, having picked up none in their opening nine.
After that winless run in October, head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was given the boot with Michael Wimmer being the caretaker manager.
On 5 December last year, Bruno Labbadia was unveiled as the new permanent manager and the 56-year-old will be overseeing the first official match of his second term.
Mainz, meanwhile, have seen a decline in form lately, going down from sixth in the top-flight standings to 10th following a run of four winless games.
Die Nullfünfer lost three games in a row - vs Bayern Munich (6-2), vs Wolfsburg (3-0) and vs Schalke (1-0) - before drawing 1-1 with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Stuttgart vs Mainz Head-To-Head and Key Numbers
- Of the last 30 games between the sides, Stuttgart have won 13 times and lost to Mainz on 10 occasions.
- Stuttgart are unbeaten in four Bundesliga matches against Mainz after suffering three defeats in their previous four encounters against the 05ers.
- Stuttgart are the only team not to have kept a clean sheet at home in Bundesliga this season. In fact, the Reds haven't kept a clean sheet in any of their last 29 top-flight home matches.
- Stuttgart recently won three Bundesliga home games in a row - as many as they had in their previous 15. The last time they won four consecutive home games was between March and May 2012 under Labbadia, who has now returned.
- Stuttgart have not won their first Bundesliga match in a new calendar year since 2018.
- With just 15 points collected, Stuttgart have posted the fewest points at this stage of the Bundesliga season since the 2015-16 season, when the Reds were relegated.
Stuttgart vs Mainz Prediction
Neither Stuttgart nor Mainz have been promising lately and given their recent form, this could end in a draw.
Prediction: Stuttgart 1-1 Mainz
Stuttgart vs Mainz Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: Draw
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes
