The fight for survival in the German top-flight looks set to be an interesting one, with several teams fighting out to avoid demotion to the second tier.
Two of the teams involved in that relegation battle Mainz and Paderborn meet on Saturday afternoon at the OPEL Arena.
Mainz are currently two points clear of the relegation play-off spot and five points clear of the relegation zone. The home side knows that this game is an excellent opportunity to move further away from the drop zone.
Wins have been hard to come by in the Bundesliga for the home team, who have picked up just two wins in their last ten outings. A 4-0 defeat at Wolfsburg in their last league outing means that Mainz have lost four of their last six league outings. It was also the fourth time in six league matches that the home side has conceded at least two goals.
Mainz needs to improve defensively to ensure survival, as only Werder Bremen have conceded more goals than the home side in the Bundesliga.
Paderborn are bottom of the Bundesliga table, six points behind Mainz and four points behind Fortuna Dusseldorf who occupy the relegation play-off spot.
The visitors produced a spirited display at Bayern Munich last time out, but still suffered a 3-2 defeat at Allianz Arena. The defeat means that Paderborn have failed to win in four league outings, having suffered three defeats in the process.
The fact that Paderborn have conceded at least two goals in three of their last four Bundesliga outings.
The visitors have a poor recent away record, winning just once in their last four league matches on their travels in the German top-flight.
Forebet predicts that Mainz will record a victory in a high-scoring encounter to move further clear of the relegation zone while adding to the visitor’s fears.