Mainz take on the visitors Bayer Leverkusen in the round 34 match of German Bundesliga. The match will be played on Saturday, April 17th at Mewa Arena (Mainz).
Mainz have shown improvement this season. The Karnevalsverein looked quite solid under Bo Svensson at one point. However, during the previous campaign, things began to fall apart for him, ultimately leading to a coaching change. Remarkably, the board turned again to a Dane — Bo Henriksen — to take over, coincidentally sharing not only nationality but also a first name with his predecessor. Henriksen managed to steer the team clear of relegation, finishing 13th with 35 points. This season, Mainz have taken another step forward and spent most of the year within touching distance of the European places. That said, since mid-March they haven’t pushed too hard for qualification, alternating home wins with away draws. Most recently, they crushed Bochum 4-1 away — a convincing and timely boost.
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Bayer made history in 2023/2024. Under Xabi Alonso, Leverkusen became a sensation — “Neverkusen” turned into “Neverlusen” as they went unbeaten domestically and finally lifted the Bundesliga title, along with the DFB-Pokal. Although Atalanta thrashed them in the Europa League final, Bayer’s achievements at home were historic. However, repeating that feat proved impossible. In the DFB-Pokal, they got the better of Bayern, but then crashed out in shocking fashion to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld in the semifinals. Bayern also eliminated them from the Champions League, dominating both legs of their March encounter. Their domestic form waned too — with motivation clearly lacking, they mostly played out draws through April. Last weekend, they lost 2-4 at home to Borussia Dortmund. Soon after, Xabi Alonso confirmed the widespread rumours: he’s heading back to Madrid.
Bayer Leverkusen have won all of the last three meetings between the sides. Mainz still have something to play for — they’ll take advantage of a distracted and disjointed Leverkusen side. Back the hosts to win.
Prediction for the match: Mainz to win.
