Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Bundesliga match.
Last Sunday, Augsburg and Mainz 05 closed the round of the German championship with their high-scoring matches. As they kick off the new game week, they are likely to deliver another match full of opportunities — both teams favour open football.
Augsburg
Against St. Pauli (3:1), Augsburg's newcomer impressed: former Borussia player Marius Wolf scored a goal and was named the match's best player. For the coaching staff, involving the bench is crucial — Phillip Tietz and Yusuf Kabadayi scored off the bench, finishing off the opposition with attacking pressure (2.48 xG vs 0.63 xG). Clearly, the Bavarian side are lacking defensive personnel: defenders Raphael Framberger, Robert Gumny, and Reece Oxford are out due to injuries, and goalkeeper Finn Dahmen also picked up an injury.
Mainz 05
Since their extra-time win against Wehen Wiesbaden (3:1) in the DFB-Pokal, Mainz have yet to win in the Bundesliga. At home against Werder Bremen (1:2), they left themselves exposed after the opponent's red card and conceded the decisive goal on a counterattack, although their expected goals suggested they deserved at least a draw (2.40 xG vs 2.32 xG). With xG (5.39) and xGA (6.75), the team are among the most entertaining sides in the tournament — with their focus on attack, victories will come.
Augsburg vs Mainz 05 Prediction
Since the start of the 2021/22 campaign, Augsburg and Mainz have scored three or more goals in five out of six head-to-head encounters. This Bundesliga round will begin with a thrilling goal-fest, so we’re betting on the total over.
