The fight for survival in the German Bundesliga is now closer than ever. One of the teams attempting to beat the drop are Mainz, who visit Hoffenheim on Sunday lunchtime.
Mainz have put themselves back into contention for survival in recent months and head into this clash on the back of just one defeat in their last six Bundesliga outings.
Last time out, Bo Svensson’s team recorded a 1-0 home win over Freiburg, which also saw the visitors keep a second straight clean sheet in the German top-flight.
The win means that Mainz are now just a point from safety and behind Hertha Berlin in the relegation play-off spot courtesy of inferior goal difference.
The visitors have struggled for victories on their travels in the Bundesliga, as they have won just once in their last eight away games in the German top-flight.
On the flip-side of that though, Svensson’s team has also been hard to beat on the road, as they have also lost just one of their previous five games.
Hoffenheim are experiencing an inconsistent Bundesliga campaign and currently sit 11th place in the German top-flight table. In fact, the home side are now just eight points clear of the relegation zone and Mainz.
Sebastian Hoeness’ team should have enough quality to avoid getting sucked into the fight for survival, though.
Their recent league results have been mixed, although a 2-0 defeat at Stuttgart last time out ended a four-game unbeaten league run for Hoeness’ team.
Despite their underwhelming league campaign, one player who has excelled this season has been Croatian striker Andrej Kramaric, who has scored 14 goals in 20 Bundesliga appearances.
Hoffenheim have a decent recent home record in the German top-flight, winning three of their last four league games at the PreZero Arena.
Forebet predicts that the home team will continue their recent decent home form and record a victory in a high-scoring encounter to dent Mainz’s survival hopes.