Mainz vs Stuttgart preview: Huge Test of European Credentials

Mainz

After beating Bochum by two goals to nil after returning from the winter break, Mainz have since recorded two successive losses, with the club looking to reset their form against a Stuttgart side in red hot form.

Whilst last Tuesday's away loss against Bayer Leverkusen can be excusable, given it was against the reigning champions, Sunday's defeat at the hands of Union Berlin came as quite a surprise for Bo Henriksen's men. Although scoreline aside, Henriksen will carry frustrations regarding chances missed, particularly that of Armando Sieb with the scores level in the first half.

Losing captain and talisman Jonathan Burkardt in the early stages against Leverkusen has undoubtedly been a huge blow for Die Nullfünfer, however after already beating Bayern München, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund at home this season, the belief will be there in terms of pulling off another scalp against Stuttgart.

Team News

Gabriel Vidovic (ankle), Jonathan Burkardt (thigh), and Moritz Jenz (muscle) are unlikely to feature for the sixth-placed Mainz 05 due to injuries, although Jenz’s condition will be assessed closer to kickoff.

With 12-goal Jonathan Burkardt sidelined Mainz will look to Jae-sung Lee and Paul Nebel, both with five goals to their names, to step up against their in-form opponents.

Stuttgart

The winter break in December arrived at a perfect time for Saturday's visitors, allowing the likes of Deniz Undav and Jamie Leweling to return to the fold after suffering injuries earlier in the campaign.

Alongside the return of star individuals, the form of VfB has also skyrocketed since returning in 2025, with Die Schwaben securing wins against Augsburg, RB Leipzig, Freiburg, and Bratislava in midweek to keep their Champions League playoff hopes alive.

Last week's dominant 4-0 win against fellow Baden-Württemberger's Freiburg was a huge statement as the Rückrunde well and truly heats up. Saturday's trip of just over 200km to Mainz will be another huge test as VfB aim to bolster their chances of securing Champions League football for the second year in a row.

Team News

For the visitors, Enzo Millot is suspended due to card accumulation, while Dan-Axel Zagadou (knee), El Bilal Touré (foot), Justin Diehl (hamstring), and Luca Raimund (thigh) are ruled out through injuries.

Jamie Leweling, fresh from his two-goal Champions League heroics against Slovan Bratislava, is expected to make his 11th Bundesliga start of the season.

Nevertheless, the primary attacking burden will likely fall on Ermedin Demirovic, who has scored eight goals this season, and Deniz Undav, who has seven goals, including strikes in two of his last three Bundesliga appearances. Demirovic could start from the bench, with Undav tasked to make a decisive impact in this weekend's clash.