German Bundesliga - Cologne vs. Mainz - Preview & Prediction

By Valdis Pans

Showing some pretty good soccer on their return to Germany’s top flight this season, Cologne will try to edge closer to the league’s Top 6 while hosting Mainz, whose main mission is to avoid relegation this year. Kick-off - at 9:30 AM ET on Sunday, May 17.

Cologne Pick Up The Pace

After spending 2018-19 in Germany’s second division following four straight seasons in the Bundesliga, Cologne have made their way back to their country’s top flight, and are doing a pretty good job! After a shaky start, which saw the Billy Goats win just one of their first six outings (W1 L5), the team has recorded eight victories since Dec. 14 (W8 L3). Following three straight triumphs just before the coronavirus pause, Cologne now occupies the 10th position in the league with 32 points from 25 games (W10 D2 L13), sitting just seven points outside the Top 6 with a game in hand.

Powerful forward Jhon Cordoba, who is often referred to as the ‘Colombian Didier Drogba’, leads the Billy Goats with 10 markers, with Austrian midfielder Florian Kainz (2 goals) topping the team’s assists table (6). Goalie Timo Horn sits 13th with 65 saves in the Bundesliga, having recorded a total of six clean sheets. He is allowing a goal every 50 minutes on average. Cologne, meanwhile, is 6th in most goals netted this season (39), while occupying the 10th position in most shots taken (319). The team is 5th from the bottom in ball possession (46.8%).

Mainz Linger Just Above Relegation

Mainz have been a regular attraction in the Bundesliga for the last 10 years or so, normally finishing each season around the mid-table. This year, though, the Zerofivers are dangerously edging the relegation. The team has lost the 2nd highest number of games throughout the season thus far (15). And while its recent form has given a certain amount of promise, with the side having lost just once in its past five fixtures (W2 D2 L1), Mainz still sits just three points above the bottom-three, having picked up just 26 points from 25 outings (W8 D2 L15).

With 12 goals buried this season in the Bundesliga, 26-year-old Swedish-Ghanaian forward Robin Quaison spearheads Mainz’s attack. He has eight snipes in his last 10 appearances in the German top tier. With No. 1 goalie Robin Zentner ruled out for the rest of the season following an ACL rupture, keeper Florian Muller is set to step in between the sticks for the fifth time this year, having already recorded 14 saves, but also 13 conceded goals, giving up a snipe each 24 minutes, thus registering the worst minutes-per-goals-against average in the league. Mainz are 10th in most goals scored this season (34), 8th in most shots (332) and 3rd worst in ball possession (44.5%).

Prediction

Mainz have struggled badly this season and will face another difficult test when paying a visit to RheinEnergieSTADION, where the local Cologne have triumphed in five of their last six domestic fixtures (W5 L1), with the only defeat coming against Bayern Munich. Mainz did manage to beat the Billy Goats on own turf back in October (3-1), but have gone without an away win versus Cologne for nine straight competitive road games (D4 L5). Take note, that the very last eight Bundesliga outings of the Billy Goats have all seen at least three goals on the scoreboard, as have 11 of Mainz’s 12 league travels this season.

Best bets:

Cologne to win (-110)

Over 2.5 goals (-165)