Mainz 05 vs Bochum

Mewa Arena sets the stage for a lopsided Bundesliga encounter between Mainz 04 and Bochum. 

Mainz earned the tag as ‘giant slayers’ toward the end of the last calendar year, taking three points against Bayern Munich (3-1) and Eintracht Frankfurt (2-1) in quick succession to stay within a two-point distance of fourth-placed RB Leipzig. Therefore, an unlikely Champions League finish could be in store for Mainz, especially when factoring in their remarkable run of five wins from their last six league outings (L1). Moreover, after going winless in their first five Bundesliga home matches of the 2024/25 season (D2, L3), Bo Henriksen’s men have won the last three in a row, netting at least two goals on each occasion! A five-match unbeaten league streak against Bochum can inspire further confidence (W4, D1), not least because Mainz’s last two H2H wins at home came by multi-goal margins.

In the meantime, Bochum’s elite status is under imminent threat as they head into the new calendar year nailed to the bottom of the Bundesliga standings, six points adrift of safety. However, Dieter Hecking’s managerial appointment in November could prove a season-defining moment for Bochum as they won back-to-back league games at the end of 2024 following a disheartening 13-game winless start (D2, L11). Hecking oversaw a 2-0 win at Union Berlin on Bochum’s last Bundesliga road trip, helping them halt a dreadful seven-game losing away league run while keeping their first clean sheet in top-flight action on hostile turf for the first time in over a year. Avoiding defeat here would see ‘Die Blauen’ go three consecutive Bundesliga matches without losing for the first time since February 2024.