Mainz 05 vs RB Leipzig

Bundesliga joint-leaders RB Leipzig take a historically tantalizing trip to the Mewa Arena, looking to arrest a four-game winless away H2H run against Mainz (D1, L3).

Mainz boss Bo Henriksen has established his side as one of the most impressive Bundesliga travelers, inspiring them to seven out of an available nine points on their league road trips this season (W2, D1). However, his men have failed to translate their superb away form to their home outings, losing two of their three top-flight games at the Mewa Arena (D1). Back-to-back home losses to Werder Bremen and Heidenheim via an aggregate score of 4-1 are in the past after ‘Die Nullfünfer’ thrashed newly promoted St. Pauli 3-0 on the road right before October’s international break. That victory gives them a rare chance to win consecutive Bundesliga matches, a feat they’ve achieved only twice since March 2023.

As for RB Leipzig, they squeaked past Heidenheim 1-0 before the break to recover from a morale-breaking 3-2 UEFA Champions League loss to Juventus and maintain their unbeaten Bundesliga start (W4, D2). Defensive resilience has been Leipzig’s most notable improvement compared to recent seasons, with the abovementioned triumph marking their fourth consecutive league clean sheet. Indeed, Marco Rose’s men boast the division’s best defensive record after only conceding twice in the first six rounds. However, they’ve immensely struggled in front of goal, averaging 1.5 per game. After a come-from-behind 3-2 win at Bayer Leverkusen in their first away league match this term, they’ve bagged under 1.5 goals on their last two top-flight travels (W1, D1).