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Borussia Monchengladbach welcome Mainz to Borussia-Park on Saturday afternoon with Jan-Moritz Lichte taking charge of his first match after Eugen Polanski became the first Bundesliga manager dismissed this season.
The Foals have started with three defeats, including a 5-0 hammering at Freiburg, while the 05ers have collected four points from their opening three fixtures and remain unbeaten in seven successive Bundesliga away matches.
Read our prediction, preview and betting tips for the game below, and make sure to check out our today's betting tips page for more of our expert predictions.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Mainz key stats
- Gladbach have lost all three Bundesliga matches this season and have conceded 12 goals.
- Mainz have won five of their last seven Bundesliga away games, with two draws.
- Mainz have avoided defeat in each of their last six visits to Borussia-Park, winning three of those games
- Mainz have lost just one of the last 11 Bundesliga meetings between the sides, recording four wins and six draws.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Mainz preview: Lichte handed immediate test after Polanski dismissal
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Mainz — Tale of the Tape
| Borussia Monchengladbach | vs | Mainz |
|---|---|---|
| 17th | Position | 8th |
| 0 | Points | 4 |
| 3 | Goals For | 6 |
| 12 | Goals Against | 3 |
| 0 | Clean Sheets | 2 |
| 15th | Home / Away Rank | 3rd |
Gladbach's difficult opening to the new Bundesliga campaign reached a breaking point after the 5-0 defeat at Freiburg, with the club ending Polanski's reign after just three league matches.
The result followed defeats against RB Leipzig and promoted Elversberg, leaving the Foals without a point and with 12 goals conceded.
Lichte now takes temporary charge, bringing an unusual subplot to Saturday's meeting given that his previous Bundesliga managerial experience came at Mainz.
Lichte was dismissed by the 05ers in January 2021 after winning only one of his 11 league matches in charge, before the club appointed Bo Svensson.
The task facing Lichte is made more difficult by the absence of several players, with Jens Castrop, Yukhym Konoplya, Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn and Enzo Leopold unavailable, while Tim Kleindienst is suspended.
Daiki Hashioka and Hugo Bolin are also doubts, although the latter could yet recover in time.
There is at least some recent evidence that Gladbach can cause Mainz problems at Borussia-Park, with the hosts taking the lead when the teams met there in April before Nadiem Amiri's stoppage-time penalty secured a 1-1 draw.
Mainz have nevertheless avoided defeat on each of their last six visits, extending a sequence that includes three wins and three draws.
Mainz arrive in considerably better shape on their travels, as Urs Fischer's side began the league campaign with a goalless draw against Paderborn before destroying Hamburg 5-0 away, only to lose 3-1 at home to Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend.
That defeat ended their unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season but did not damage an away record that has seen them go seven league trips without defeat.
The 05ers have won their last three Bundesliga away matches and had already carried an impressive road record into this season, with their unbeaten sequence stretching back to February.
Their recent away results also include a 2-0 victory at Heidenheim and a 2-1 success at St Pauli from the end of last season.
There are some concerns for Fischer, particularly in goal, as first-choice goalkeeper Robin Zentner has suffered another injury blow and is expected to make way for Alexander Schwolow.
Dominik Kohr, Eric Martel, Paul Nebel, Silvan Widmer and Silas are also unavailable, leaving Mainz without several experienced options.
Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Mainz form guide & betting tips
| Borussia Monchengladbach | vs | Mainz |
|---|---|---|
L
L
L
|
Form | D
W
L
|
| 0 | Points | 4 |
| 17th | Form Table | 8th |
| 3 | Goals For | 6 |
| 12 | Goals Against | 3 |
W
W
L
L
L
|
Form (All Comps) | W
W
D
W
L
|
Whispers predicts: Borussia Monchengladbach 1-2 Mainz
Mainz's outstanding away record makes the away win at 2.30 (13/10) an appealing option, particularly against a Gladbach side that has conceded four goals or more in two of its opening three Bundesliga matches.
The stronger angle, however, could be over 2.5 goals at 1.50 (1/2), as Gladbach need a response after failing to score against Leipzig and Freiburg, while Mainz have found the net in their two most recent league away games.
Mainz have enough attacking quality to exploit the uncertainty around the hosts, but their own defensive absences make a clean sheet less convincing.
Gladbach should therefore have opportunities of their own, with a 2-1 Mainz victory offering a reasonable balance between the visitors' superior recent away record and the home side's need to respond.
> Both teams to score at 1.47 (47/100) | Likelihood: Likely
> Over 2.5 goals at 1.50 (1/2) | Likelihood: Likely
> Match result — Mainz win at 2.30 (13/10) | Likelihood: Probable
> Correct score — Borussia Monchengladbach 1-2 Mainz at 8.00 (7/1) | Likelihood: Outsider