Kenley Ward
Dailysports's expert
Bochum
Mainz 05
On Saturday, May 10, in a match of Bundesliga round 33, Bochum will host Mainz at home. The game kicks off at 15:30 Central European Time. I suggest a bet on the number of goals in this encounter.
Interesting facts and head-to-head history
- Bochum haven’t won in their last 6 Bundesliga matches.
- Mainz have lost three away games in a row, conceding 8 goals in those matches.
- Bochum have lost 4 of their last 5 home matches.
- In their previous 5 games, Bochum have scored just 3 goals.
- Mainz’s defense ranks fourth best in the league in goals conceded.
- In matchday 16 of this season, Mainz defeated Bochum 2-0.
Match preview
Bochum are teetering on the brink. With 22 points, the “indomitable” side are rooted to the bottom of the table. There’s no longer any chance of surviving relegation directly, but Dieter Hecking’s team still have a theoretical shot at finishing 16th and reaching the relegation playoff. However, they trail Heidenheim, who are currently 16th, by 4 points. This means they must collect all 6 points from their remaining two matches.
It’s hard to believe in such a scenario, given Bochum’s dreadful form. Heading into the Mainz clash, Bochum are coming off two consecutive draws: 0-0 against Heidenheim and 1-1 with Union Berlin. Before that, Dieter Hecking’s side lost five straight matches, and their last win dates back to March 8, when they sensationally defeated Bayern Munich 3-2.
Mainz, meanwhile, are fighting to qualify for European competition next season for the first time since 2016. They currently sit seventh, a spot that does not grant Conference League qualification, as both German Cup finalists (Stuttgart and Arminia) are outside the top 6 and the trophy winner goes to the Europa League. The “Carnival Club” trails sixth place by 2 points.
Not long ago, Mainz were in the top 4, but a string of poor results in recent months has seen them slip back. In the previous round, Mainz drew 1-1 with Eintracht, before losing 0-3 to Bayern and sharing a 2-2 draw with Wolfsburg. Their winless run in the Bundesliga now stands at 7 matches.
Probable line-ups
- Bochum: Horn – Oermann, Ordets, Bernardo – Passlack, Bero, Sissoko, Kraus, Wittek – Broschinski, Masouras
- Mainz: Zentner – Widmer, Bell, Hanche-Olsen – Caci, Sano, Amiri, Mwene – Nebel, Lee – Burkardt
Bochum vs Mainz match prediction
Bochum will be forced to go on the attack from the very first minutes, as only a win will do, while Mainz are extremely dangerous on the counter. I expect an open and high-scoring match, so my bet is on over 2.5 goals.
