Friday 26/09/2014, 21:30, Germany Bundesliga, Round 6, Mainz vs Hoffenheim
Mainz vs Hoffenheim Preview
Mainz and Hoffenheim are tied for the fourth-place, but the winner tonight could overtake three teams and climb all the way to the first place. Even though the leaders play tomorrow, for a brief period of time, one of these two teams could sit at the top of the Bundesliga. They are evenly matched and both have scored nine goals while allowing five and won twice in five games, without losing a single match.
Mainz vs Hoffenheim Odds
Mainz 2.50, Draw 3.50, Hoffenheim 2.70
Mainz vs Hoffenheim Tips
Mainz is a formidable defensive team and one of the two that is yet to allow ago in front of their fans, but they only managed to accumulate four points when having home pitch advantage. They use a conservative starting formation, with four defenders, five midfielders and a single striker.
On the bright side, Japanese forward Okazaki is good enough all by himself and has scored five goals so far in just as many games. Tonight he is very likely to start as the only striker, but if the hosts fail to score by half time, he will probably be joined by Allagui. Both of them are 28 years old and are still agile enough to outshine a stiff defensive, something that has plagued Hoffenheim for the last few seasons.
The visitors scored a single goal on the road and they were far more prolific at home, but overall they managed to avoid defeat in five consecutive games. They were on the verge of losing last round at home, but managed to score in the last minute of overtime, to level the score against Freiburg.
Compared to Mainz, they seem to be the more offensive team but tonight it is very likely that manager Gisdol will choose to use a single striker. Elyonoussi is his first choice and he has played in all five games so far, but if he doesn't meet the high expectations, he will be probably replaced by Frenchman Modeste.
Key Facts
- Mainz has the advantage in head-to-head games, winning six out of 12 and losing just twice.
- The last time Hoffenheim won against Mainz was in late 2011, with the two teams meeting five times since then.
Mainz vs Hoffenheim Prediction
It is not easy to make a prediction for this fixture, because the two teams are obviously evenly matched and the game could go either way. Mainz has home pitch advantage and a flawless record so far, so as long as the odds revolve around even value with Pinnacle Sports for a draw no bet wager, it is worth taking the chance. Assuming the game ends undecided, the stakes will be returned.
Bet: Mainz Draw no Bet @ 1.90 with Pinnacle Sports
