Bundesliga: Top Four Battle Heats Up in Mainz

Mainz vs SC Freiburg

With nine games to play in the 2024/25 campaign Bundesliga: Mainz vs SC Freiburg, at the Mewa Arena on Saturday, is a high stakes six-pointer in the race for Champions League places.

The hosts are third in the table and three points ahead of their visitors with Eintracht Frankfurt sandwiched in between, and Red Bull Leipzig leading a chasing pack which includes Borussia Dortmund, all within reach of the top four.  

Bo Henriksen’s Mainz come into the game on the back of a 3-1 win away to Borussia Monchengladbach while Julian Schuster’s Freiburg played out a goalless draw at home to Red Bull Leipzig. A win for the hosts would cement their place in third, but if the visitors can leave Mainz with all three points they will draw level.  

 

Talking Points

Bo’s bravery is rubbing off on his players 

Henriksen is one of the most recognisable figures in German top flight football and he’s instilled a winning mentality in his team this season, giving them a great chance of finishing in the top four. In a recent press conference Henriksen said: “The pressure for results stems from our desire for success and to win football matches. If we give it everything we have then we can achieve anything and it will ultimately be more fun that way as well.”

One player who is certainly enjoying himself is 24 year old striker Jonathan Burkardt who has 14 goals for the campaign, bagging the winner in a 2-1 win away to Red Bull Leipzig last week. Burkardt’s goals are backed up by the midfield trio of Paul Nebel with seven goals, and Nadiem Amiri and Lee Jae-sung with six goals each. Lee has five assists and Nebel and Amiri have three each, and both Nebel and Amiri were on target in the 3-1 win over Monchengladbach. This is a team with multiple threats which is playing free-flowing attacking football, but it has steel running through it too.  

With ten yellow cards, defender Dominik Kohr, came back into the fold last week and he too scored against Die Fohlen. Kohr can play as a defensive midfielder as well and, with centre backs Maxim Leitsch and Andreas Hansche-Olsen also fighting for places, Henriksen has options.    

 

Noah is so good for Freiburg  

As a vital part of SC Freiburg’s top four push 22 year old goalkeeper Noah Atubolu has been in outstanding form as the last line of defence, keeping six clean sheets in a row; and his 576 minutes without conceding a goal has broken a club record set by former stopper Richard Golz a quarter of a century ago.    

In a recent 0-0 draw away to FC Augsburg Atubolu pulled off a string of classy saves and he has been unbeatable throughout this six game sequence. And all credit to the young keeper who attracted an unfair amount of criticism when he was thrust into the first team last season. A Freiburg boy this is a great recovery for Atubolu and a credit to his manager, and with 15 Germany U21 caps already under his belt he has a bright future for club and country. Freiburg’s clash with Red Bull Leipzig was another chance for the young keeper to shine and he did, repelling all the ambitious Bulls could throw at him. But, while Freiburg’s back line has been superbly secure, two goalless draws have slowed their momentum and they will be working hard on the training ground to increase their output in attack.

With three 1-0 wins from their previous four, SC  Freiburg only cut loose when they hammered Werder Bremen 5-0 as Vincenzo Grifo and Doan Ritsu both scored a brace. That made it eight goals each for the campaign and these two are the best assisters too, with seven and four.

 

History

These two teams have traded blows over the past three decades or so, and Die Nullfunfers are edging the head to head Mainz vs SC Freiburg results by 16 wins to 15 and there have been 15 draws. Four of the last six meetings have ended in a draw, including a 0-0 stalemate in Freiburg back in November.

Both teams have four wins from the last six outings, though Mainz have won their last four while Freiburg have drawn their last two, and the pre-match Mainz vs SC Freiburg betting odds say that while the hosts have the edge, all three results are well in play.

 

Betting Tip

Mainz are at SBOTOP odds of 2.01 to win this game with Freiburg at 3.32. While Mainz have a dynamic attacking force, Freiburg have a goalie and defence in the form of their lives and, for an alterative bet, Under 2.25 goals is at a price of 1.99.

   

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