Hoffenheim – Mainz: a nasty double-header at the PreZero Arena 
Saturday at the PreZero Arena brings a live-wire clash, with the stakes high all over the pitch. TSG Hoffenheim (5th), in a desperate dash to get back into the top four, host a slick Mainz side (11th) who are trying to nail down their place in the top flight once and for all.
TSG in full meltdown 
It’s a proper grim mood in Baden-Württemberg right now. Christian Ilzer’s men have just been put through the wringer by RB Leipzig. A brutal 5-0 hammering, with the team leaking goals all over the place and shipping four before the break. That drubbing has kicked them right out of the Champions League spots.
With a back line that’s suddenly softer than it should be (16 goals conceded in the last seven rounds), Hoffenheim have to stop the rot. Their home ground has wobbled a bit lately — one draw and one defeat in the last two games there — but before that they’d rattled off eight straight wins. The equation’s simple enough: get back to being hard to beat and start scoring with some consistency, or watch the European train leave without them.
Mainz charging towards safety 
At the other end, things are looking far healthier. Urs Fischer has completely changed Mainz since walking through the door. The visitors are on a cheeky seven-game unbeaten run in all competitions and have just taken down Frankfurt 2-1. With a handy six-point cushion above the relegation playoff place, Mainz are quietly edging away from the danger zone.
They’ve been very handy on the road lately too, unbeaten in their last three away trips, and they won’t be fazed by this. They know the home side will be desperate for a response. So Mainz may have to ride out the early storm, keep their heads, and wait for their chance. But with the confidence they’ve got right now, they’ve got every reason to back themselves to hit on the break and go for another away robbery.
Expected line-ups
Hoffenheim : Baumann ; Coufal, Kabak, Hajdari, Bernardo ; Promel, Burger ; Prass, Kramaric, Toure ; Asllani
Mainz 05 : Batz ; Da Costa, Posch, Kohr ; Widmer, Nebel, Sano, Lee, Mwene ; Tietz, Becker
Football prediction Hoffenheim vs Mainz 05
Both teams to score
This one pits a wounded beast, angry and dangerous, against a side in form that’s got nothing to fear.
Hoffenheim badly need a response in front of their own fans after the humiliation in Leipzig, if only to keep pace with the pack at the top. With their attacking quality, they should find a way through. But their defence is full of holes. Against a Mainz side that’s sharp, efficient and scoring regularly these past few weeks, the home clean sheet looks highly unlikely. The ball should hit the net at both ends.
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