Mainz-Union Berlin is a rematch of the 18th day of the Bundesliga and is played Wednesday at 6:30pm: live TV, likely lineups, predictions.
Too much snow had fallen on the MEWA Arena last January 19. So much that it prevented the holding of the challenge between Mainz and Union Berlin, two teams that have to fight to keep their category this year. The current Bundesliga standings see both of them floundering in the depths: far worse off is Mainz, second-last and with six points to make up on the salvation zone. Less complicated is the situation faced by the capitols, which have started scoring points again after the change in the bench between Urs Fischer, who was exonerated after the long losing streak between September and November, and Nenad Bjelica.
Few could have predicted such a steep and sudden decline by a team that only a few months ago had an important page of its history written by qualifying for the Champions League for the first time, an unthinkable goal for a club that until 2019 had never even set foot in the top flight. Union, after the initial two victories-one of them coming in the middle of August precisely against Mainz, downed 4-1-suddenly collapsed. Only at the end of November, as far as the league was concerned, did it manage to put an end to the negative series, drawing 1-1 with Augsburg. However, the winning fast was broken in December, with a 3-1 success over Borussia Monchengladbach.
In the post-Christmas break, Union Berlin cashed in on two away defeats (Bayern Munich and Leipzig) and beat only runner-up Darmstadt, folded 1-0 thanks to a Hollerbach goal.
In 2024, the only point won by Mainz came in the match against Wolfsburg, which had to settle for a draw (1-1) at the MEWA Arena. In the next two challenges the red and white took worrying steps backward, losing narrowly to Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen without scoring a single goal. It is no coincidence that the Nullfunfer’s is the worst attack in the tournament along with Cologne, with only 14 goals scored in 19 games.
The prediction
Two teams struggling and, above all, scoring with the dropper. A drawn match looms as all salvation clashes do, in which Union Berlin should be able to at least avoid defeat.
The probable lineups of Mainz-Union Berlin
MAINZ (4-2-3-1): Zentner; Widmer, van den Berg, Caci, Mwene; Krauss, Barreiro; Burkardt, Amiri, Onisiwo; Ajorque.
UNION BERLIN (3-1-4-2): Schwolow; Knoche, Vogt, Doekhi; Khedira; Aaronson, Schafer, Tousart, Gosens; Volland, Hollerbach.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 0-1
