One of this season’s surprise packages in the Bundesliga has been Union Berlin, in only their second campaign in the German top-flight.
The team from the German capital are currently eighth place in the Bundesliga table heading into their visit to struggling Mainz on Saturday afternoon.
Union are now just three points off Dortmund, who occupy the final European qualification spot in the German top-flight.
The visitors are also just four points adrift of the Champions League spots. European qualification this season would be a dream come true for the top-flight rookies.
However, Urs Fischer’s team is on a poor recent run of form in the Bundesliga, having won just once in their last five outings. A 1-1 draw with Monchengladbach at least ended a mini two-game losing run in the Bundesliga for the team from the German capital.
Union have not been great in defence of late, having kept just two clean sheets in their last 12 outings in the Bundesliga.
Mainz look to be in major danger of relegation, as Bo Svensson’s team are 17th place in the table, seven points adrift of the relegation play-off spot and also the safety mark of 15th place.
The home sides recent form rather illustrates why they are in such a perilous position, as they have won just one of their last 11 outings in the Bundesliga. A 3-2 win over RB Leipzig gave them real hope that they could beat the drop, but the win was followed by a 2-0 defeat at Stuttgart last time out.
The victory over Leipzig ended a nine-game winless run on home soil for Mainz in the Bundesliga. They had lost seven of the nine of the winless matches.
Forebet predicts that Union Berlin will record a victory in a high-scoring encounter, to boost their European hopes, while denting Mainz’s survival bid in the process.