Our betting expert expects Bayer Leverkusen to return to winning ways in the Bundesliga against a Mainz side struggling just above the drop zone.
Best bets for Bayer Leverkusen vs Mainz
- Leverkusen to score across both halves, at odds of 2.22 on 1xBet
- Nadiem Amiri to score or assist anytime, at odds of 3.00 on 1xBet
- Leverkusen or draw & Over 2.5 total goals, at odds of 2.90 on 1xBet
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Our analysis: Form of both teams
- Score prediction: Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 Mainz
- Goalscorers prediction: Bayer Leverkusen: Ernest Poku, Patrik Schick; Mainz: Nadiem Amiri
Kasper Hjulmand’s side are juggling domestic and continental demands this season. Having sealed their Champions League playoffs fate against Olympiacos, Bayer Leverkusen now turn their attention back to the Bundesliga. A home victory would lift them into the top five.
Die Werkself currently sit sixth with a game in hand, six points clear of nearest rivals SC Freiburg. They boast the league’s third-best defence, trailing only Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. They have proved their mettle through consistent, impactful performances.
Mainz travel 200 kilometres north to North Rhine-Westphalia carrying a grim record. They have failed to beat Leverkusen in five successive league meetings.
The 05ers saw their three-match winning streak halted by a 4-0 thrashing at Dortmund. This was followed by a 1-1 stalemate with Hamburger SV at the Mewa Arena.
Now winless in back-to-back games, the visitors risk sliding into the relegation zone if they leave empty-handed. Level on 22 points with Borussia Monchengladbach, Mainz sit just two points above nearest relegation candidates, St. Pauli.
Leverkusen’s latest 1-0 loss to Union Berlin was their only blemish across their last five league outings. The gulf in class is distinct between the two sides. Expect Mainz’s lacklustre attack to struggle at the BayArena, allowing Leverkusen to claim maximum points.
Probable lineups for Bayer Leverkusen vs Mainz
Bayer Leverkusen expected lineup: Blaswich, Quansah, Andrich, Tapsoba, Vazquez, Palacios, Garcia, Grimaldo, Maza, Poku, Schick
Mainz expected lineup: Batz, Posch, Potulski, Kohr, da Costa, Sano, Mwene, Amiri, Lee, Silas, Tietz
Die Werkself to fire in both halves
Leverkusen have found the net regularly this term. Among the top six, they’ve scored the fewest goals, but a game in hand could improve that tally.
The Schwarzroten have led at half-time in 11 of their 22 Bundesliga matches. Across their last seven competitive games, Hjulmand’s men have scored four times across both halves.
Notably, each of their last three home fixtures saw them net before and after the break while keeping clean sheets. They tend to start matches energetically and usually maintain their momentum in the second period.
Mainz arrive on the back of a three-match winning streak. Yet, that run masks a largely inconsistent season. With 26 goals, they’ve scored the joint third-fewest in the division. Defensively, they’ve conceded 38 – the third-best record among bottom-half teams. However, they are still vulnerable against elite attacks.
Leverkusen, led by Patrick Schick, have the firepower to overwhelm them. Leverkusen have dominated recent home games at the BayArena, scoring in both halves while keeping clean sheets. Backing the hosts to repeat the feat looks like a strong option.
- Leverkusen vs Mainz Betting Tip 1: Leverkusen to score across both halves, at odds of 2.22 on 1xBet
Amiri on a roll
All eyes will be on Schick. He needs one more Bundesliga goal to become Leverkusen's third-highest all-time scorer. However, Mainz arrive with their own talisman in Nadiem Amiri.
The 29-year-old has been one of Bundesliga’s most impressive midfielders. He has registered 10 goals and two assists in 20 league appearances. The former Leverkusen midfielder has also created the most big chances for Mainz this term, with 11.
In the reverse fixture, he opened the scoring with a penalty. He later provided an assist for Armindo Sieb’s late consolation in the 4-3 thriller at the Mewa Arena.
Amiri was solely responsible for Mainz’s recent wins over Wolfsburg and Augsburg. The versatile midfielder is in spectacular form. He has registered eight goals and one assist in his last nine competitive appearances for Mainz.
The 29-year-old is currently playing the best football of his career. Playing against his former club at a ground where he spent four years, Amiri will be desperate to prove a point.
- Leverkusen vs Mainz Betting Tip 2: Amiri to score or assist anytime, at odds of 3.00 on 1xBet
Double chance offers value
Leverkusen’s latest hiccup, a 1-0 loss at Union Berlin, was their only defeat across eight competitive outings. In the seven other matches, the Schwarzroten kept an impressive five clean sheets.
However, tired legs are a factor. The hosts return to league action just days after their Champions League playoff clash. Yet, playing back-to-back competitive games at the BayArena offers comfort. Successive clean sheet victories in the league on home turf also inspire confidence.
Mainz land here after a hard-fought 1-1 draw with Hamburg. Urs Fischer’s men have conceded five goals across their last two games. That defensive frailty offers little hope of turning things around and claiming maximum points.
Both sides have their pros and cons, but European hopefuls Leverkusen are undoubtedly the superior team on paper. The double chance offers a safety net, as Leverkusen’s individual quality should see them over the line.
- Leverkusen vs Mainz Betting Tip 3: Leverkusen or draw & Over 2.5 total goals, at odds of 2.90 on 1xBet