FC Koln vs Mainz 05: Mainz 05 to go for maximum points

On Saturday April 15, Koln will play Mainz 05 at the RheinEnergieStadion in the Bundesliga. The hosts have had a rough run of results in recent weeks, putting themselves in the bottom part of the league, but they remain confident of surviving. Koln returned to winning ways with a 3-1 victory over Augsburg. FC Koln is 12th in the league rankings with 31 points after 27 games.

Meanwhile, Mainz is on eight games without a loss and competing for a place in Europe. They drew 2-2 with Werder Bremen last weekend.  Mainz appeared to be heading for all three points but was held back after the 95th-minute equalizer by Augsburg. 

Although the Mainz 05 has a bad record when playing FC Koln at home, that curse is about to be broken as Mainz 05 is better placed to do the double over FC Koln. A win is to be expected for the away side. 

After a troubling run of play, the hosts showed indications of progress last weekend. Koln's turnaround marked the end of a six-game losing streak, which had generated some concern about being drawn into the relegation struggle. Steffen Baumgart may have begun to feel the pressure when Koln plummeted down the table after their 3-1 win at Augsburg.

However, Koln is currently eight points clear of trouble. That eight points will be a good cushion that allows for some breathing room. A troubling statistic coming into this match is that they have failed to win back-to-back games this season, and their recent home form does not inspire confidence.

The fact that they haven't scored in their past three home games implies that they may struggle to build on that positive result - another blank would be four consecutive home games without scoring for the first time in over a decade.

FC Koln's possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Schwabe; 

Defenders: Schmitz, Hubers, Chabot, Hector; 

Midfielders: Schindler, Huseinbasic, Martel, Kainz, Maina; 

Striker: Selke

Mainz 05 has a bad record when playing Koln at the RheinEnergieStadion. The record is that Mainz has not won a game against Koln when the fans are at the stadium with Koln playing at home. The form and confidence of Mainz suggest that the record is about to be shuttered.

Mainz 05 will feel cheated as the team failed to take all three points when they played Werder Bremen last week. The 95th-minute equalizer by Werder Bremen will convince Svensson to instruct the defense line to be more disciplined and not lose focus in the closing stage of the game.

Considering the run of Mainz 05, only Borussia Dortmund has collected more points in that period than Mainz, who have kept their European challenge alive. Mainz will face a difficult but not impossible task if they can maintain their current form until the conclusion of the season. Tightening up defensively will be critical if they are to compete for a spot in Europe, as they have scored in 13 consecutive Bundesliga games.

Mainz's possible starting lineup:

Goalkeeper: Zentner; 

Defenders: Fernandes, Bell, Hanche-Olsen; 

Midfielders: Widmer, Barreiro Martins, Kohr, Stach, Caci; 

Strikers: Ingvartsen, Ajorque

Last week's victory for the home side brought to an end a run of six games without a win. Mainz 05 on the other hand is on a run of eight games without a loss. The amazing run for Mainz 05 includes three draws and five victories. FC Koln has not won a game at home in their last three games played. The players of Mainz 05 have their confidence boosted and will be hoping to complete the double over Koln as the reverse fixture was won by 5-0. 

Potential scoreline includes 1-2, 1-3, 1-4, or 0-2. A couple of combinations can be extracted from this. 

Below are the expert's bets to consider. 

• W2 for 2.61 odds (1xbet);
• BTTS for 1.75 odds (Coinplay)
• Over 2.5 goals for 1.90 odds (Bet365)