After a day to forget in the Rhine-Main derby against Eintracht Frankfurt, Mainz 05 are looking ahead again. On Saturday (15:30, live on Sky, DAZN and 05ER.fm), away to struggling Borussia Mönchengladbach, who have parted ways with head coach Eugen Polanski, Mainz will be aiming for their second away win of the still young season in order to head into the following three-week international break with a good feeling.
A blow for Mainz 05: first-choice goalkeeper Robin Zentner will miss the match due to a hand injury.
Facts and figures on #BMGM05
Good omen
Mainz 05 have not lost any of their last seven Bundesliga away matches (five wins and two draws), including this season’s emphatic 5-0 win at HSV. If FSV also win in Mönchengladbach, they would equal the club record of four consecutive away victories — last achieved four years ago under then head coach Bo Svensson. Back then, too, the fourth game in that run came away to Borussia.
Favourite opponents
Borussia have been winless in their last six home games against Mainz 05 (three draws, three defeats). The Lower Rhine side last celebrated a home win over the Rheinhessen on 25 January 2020, almost seven years ago, when they came from behind to win 3-1.
Stable defence
Against Frankfurt, Mainz conceded goals for the first time in this Bundesliga season, after Urs Fischer’s side had previously kept two clean sheets. Nevertheless, Mainz 05’s defence remains a stable structure: the Rheinhessen have allowed only 27 opposition shots across the first three matchdays; only Bayern (17) and Leverkusen (21) have conceded fewer. Their aerial dominance is particularly striking: only three of those 27 opposition attempts were headers.
A closer look at our opponents
Historic poor start
This is only the second time in the Bundesliga that Borussia Mönchengladbach have been without a point after three matchdays. The only previous occasion came in 2015/16, when Lucien Favre resigned after five defeats in the first five matches. Factoring in the goal difference, it is the Foals’ worst record after three matchdays in the club’s history.
Coaching change and familiar face
Eugen Polanski was relieved of his duties as Borussia Mönchengladbach head coach after the defeat in Freiburg. Until a successor is found, the team will initially be looked after on an interim basis by Jan-Moritz Lichte, who was once also employed at Mainz 05 as assistant, interim and head coach.
The referee team
Robert Hartmann (referee), Tobias Schultes (assistant referee 1), Rafael Foltyn (assistant referee 2), Dr. Florian Exner (fourth official), Guido Winkmann (VAR), Mike Pickel (assistant VAR)
