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The battle for Bundesliga survival continues this Sunday afternoon as St Pauli welcome Mainz 05 to the Millerntor Stadion for a huge clash in Hamburg.
Sitting just one point above the automatic relegation spots, the hosts are desperate for results as they look to prolong their stay in the Bundesliga.
Mainz, on the other hand, are aiming to end their four-match winless run and shake off last weekend’s thrilling 4-3 defeat against champions Bayern Munich.
Check out our prediction, preview and betting tips, including the latest odds. If you want more, make sure to visit our ‘Today’s Betting Tips’ page for more expert predictions.
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St Pauli vs Mainz 05 key stats
- St Pauli have never beaten Mainz in the Bundesliga.
- Mainz have never lost back-to-back Bundesliga games under Urs Fischer.
- Mainz are also in the midst of a four-match unbeaten run away from home.
St Pauli vs Mainz 05: Hosts fighting for Bundesliga future
| St Pauli | vs | Mainz 05 |
|---|---|---|
| 16th | Position (Bundesliga) | 10th |
| 26 | Points | 34 |
| 26 | Goals For | 39 |
| 53 | Goals Against | 49 |
| 5 | Clean Sheets | 3 |
| 16th | Home Rank | 15th |
| 17th | Away Rank | 8th |
St Pauli’s Bundesliga survival hopes took a serious blow last weekend following a shock 2-0 defeat away at bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim.
The result extended the Kiezkicker’s winless run to seven games in the Bundesliga - four of which have been defeats.
As things stand, St Pauli continue to occupy the relegation playoff spot, but the pressure is ramping up with Wolfsburg now just one point behind.
The biggest problem for head coach Alexander Blessin and his men has been their woeful goal output this season, with the team managing to rattle the net just 26 times - the worst attacking record in the competition.
To put that number into perspective, Wolfsburg and Heidenheim are both below St Pauli in the standings, yet they have managed 41 and 35 goals respectively this season.
To make matters worse for the hosts, there are a handful of players who will not take part in Sunday’s massive game.
Ricky-Jade Jones, Mathias Pereira Lage and James Sands are all on the injury list, while forward Taichi Hara is a doubt due to illness.
Mainz are also dealing with several injury worries ahead of Sunday’s trip to Hamburg, with Benedict Hollerbach, Jae-Sung Lee, Maxim Leitsch, Silas and Maxim Dal all on the sidelines for Die Nulfunfer.
Putting injuries aside, Mainz will be looking to end their four-match winless run across all competitions.
Urs Fischer and his men came close to breaking that run last weekend, though their 3-0 lead against Bayern Munich ultimately ended in a thrilling 4-3 defeat.
Interestingly, Mainz are yet to lose back-to-back Bundesliga games under Fischer’s stewardship, and their confidence will be high having gone four league games unbeaten away from home.
On top of that, Mainz are unbeaten in all five previous meetings with St Pauli, winning four of those matches.
In terms of goals and ambitions, Mainz are too far away to challenge for a spot in Europe. However, securing a mid-table finish would be a huge accomplishment, given the club were bottom of the table as recently as January.
St Pauli vs Mainz 05 form guide & betting tips
| St Pauli | vs | Mainz 05 |
|---|---|---|
| L-D-L-D-L | Form | W-W-L-D-L |
| 2 | Points | 7 |
| 16th | Form Table | 8th |
| 3 | Goals For | 8 |
| 11 | Goals Against | 8 |
| L-D-L-D-L | Form (All Competitions) | W-L-L-D-L |
Whispers predicts: St Pauli 1-1 Mainz 05
St Pauli have only scored three goals across their last seven matches, and that does open some interesting betting possibilities.
For instance, backing St Pauli to score at least one goal is available at 4/11 odds - not a bad offering given they are playing at home.
Both teams to score landed in three of St Pauli’s last five outings, and that selection is also available at tasty 20/23 odds.
For serious value, you could back the draw in the outright market at 47/20. This bet landed when these two teams last met.
> St Pauli over 0.5 goals at 4/11 | Likelihood: Probable
> Both teams to score - Yes at 20/23 | Likelihood: Probable
> Match result - Draw at 47/20 | Likelihood: Outsider