Union Berlin vs Mainz Preview: Team News & Prediction
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Union Berlin hope to pick up where they left off in December, starting against Mainz, who begin the year rock-bottom of the table.
Kick-off date/time:
How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / US – ESPN
How to watch online: UK – Not televised / US – ESPN+
Union Berlin preview: Chance for three straight
Union Berlin won their most recent two Bundesliga games before breaking for Christmas and will have the opportunity to make it three in a row with victory here in their first fixture of the new year. They are nicely positioned in eighth-place heading into Saturday’s slate of games and three points here would put some pressure on those above them.
Scoring goals has been the main kryptonite of Union’s over the course of the season so far. They are the lowest scorers of the current top nine teams in the table, having found the net just 20 times across 15 matches.
Mainz preview: Down in the dumps
Mainz have endured a nightmare season domestically. Their small squad have struggled with the additional commitments that a European campaign provides and results in the Bundesliga have suffered as a consequence. Currently bottom of the table, things can only get better from here, otherwise it’ll be 2. Bundesliga football in 2026-27.
At least Mainz can at least use their back-to-back draws heading into the winter break as a building block, especially as one of those came in shocking fashion against runaway league leaders Bayern Munich.
Union Berlin team news: Almost fully fit
Union Berlin won’t be able to call upon Robert Skov due to a calf problem but aside from that, have no other known injury absentees.
Predicted XI: (3-4-3): Ronnow; Doekhi, Querfeld, Leite; Trimmel, Khedira, Kemlein, Kohn; Burke, Ilic Ansah
Unavailable: Skov (Injured)
Questionable:
Mainz team news: Several missing players
Mainz’s cause is not helped by the expected absence of several players, including the likes of Caci, Leitsch, Mwene and Zentner. They’ll be hoping Andreas Hanche-Olsen doesn’t join the list as the centre-back faces a late fitness test.
Predicted XI: (3-4-3): Batz; Kohr, Bell, Hanche-Olsen; da Costa, Nebel, Sano, Widmer; Amiri, Hollerbach, Lee
Unavailable: Caci (Injured), Dal (Injured), Silas (Illness), Leitsch (Injured), Mwene (Injured), Zentner (Injured)
Questionable: Boving (Illness), Hanche-Olsen (Injured)
Union Berlin vs Mainz prediction
You could argue that the winter break came at the wrong time for both of these two clubs. Whilst Mainz may have just one win to their name in the league, they really were showing signs of turning things around in December with that Bayern draw and a clean sheet against St. Pauli. Union Berlin winning two in a row had gathered some serious momentum just as the break kicked in.
Of the two teams, Union are more likely to hit the ground running from the start. Mainz are struggling with unavailable players and this only weakens them further. Assuming Union get the first goal, heads may well drop among the Mainz squad and it could be another long afternoon for them. Back the hosts to come out on top.
Union Berlin vs Mainz tip: Union Berlin to win
