Just three days after their previous encounter in the Bundesliga, Mainz and Stuttgart are set to face each other again on Wednesday evening, both aiming for a spot in the DFB-Pokal third round.
Mainz suffered a 2-1 defeat to Stuttgart on Sunday, with Deniz Undav scoring a late winner. This loss marked Mainz's sixth defeat of the season, leaving them in the relegation play-off position with only four points from their first eight matches. The team has struggled with consistency, losing three of their last four matches and conceding ten goals during this period. Despite a recent 1-0 victory against Bosnian team Zrinjski Mostar in the UEFA Conference League, Mainz has lost their last four domestic matches at home. The added pressure of European football appears to be affecting the team, with Bundesliga performance now taking precedence. A strong showing against the reigning German cup holders would be a significant boost for the squad.
In terms of team news, Andreas Hance-Olsen is pushing for a starting position after coming on as a substitute in the recent loss. Young striker Nelson Weiper may also get an opportunity to play. Some regular players, including Danny da Costa and Dominik Kohr, are expected to return to the starting lineup, while Anthony Caci and Maxim Dal will remain unavailable until at least the new year.
The predicted lineup for Mainz is as follows: 3-4-2-1: Riess - Da Costa, Bell, Kohr - Nordin, Sano, Amiri, Mwene - Nebel, Lee - Hollerbach.
Stuttgart, the DFB-Pokal holders, arrive in Mainz in strong form, having extended their unbeaten domestic run to five matches. They currently sit third in the Bundesliga standings with 18 points from their first eight matches. Stuttgart has won three of their last four games across all competitions, with their only recent losses occurring in the Europa League against Basel and Fenerbahce. The team has scored six goals and conceded just two in their last four matches, with Chris Führich and Deniz Undav both finding the net against Mainz on Sunday.
For Stuttgart, coach Sebastian Hoeneß is expected to make several changes from the weekend's match. Centre-back Ameen Al-Dakhil may be rested, with Ramon Hendriks likely to start in defense. Angelo Stiller is expected to retain his position, while Bilal El Khannouss and Tiago Tomas may support Undav in the attack. Several players, including Ermedin Demirovic, Justin Diel, Stefan Drljaca, and Luca Jaquez, will remain sidelined. Hoeneß has also indicated that he will not risk Maximilian Mittelstädt, who has been dealing with a knock. Dan-Axel Zagadou, who recently returned from injury, is in contention for a starting role at the Mewa Arena.
The predicted lineup for Stuttgart is as follows: 3-4-2-1: Nübel - Jeltsch, Chabot, Hendriks - Assignon, Chema, Stiller, Leweling - Tomas, El Khannouss - Undav.
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