Mainz vs Leipzig | Football Previews & Free Betting Tips | 13th September 2025

MEWA Arena will be in full voice on Saturday for what should be a close and competitive match. Mainz are bedding in new attackers, while Leipzig look slick and punchy despite a few injury niggles. Expect a full house, a noisy Red Bull following, and a quick tempo from the off.

Tactical snapshot: Mainz are usually a compact 3-4-2-1/4-2-3-1 hybrid — aggressive out of possession, happy to spring forward through Amiri and wide runners like Nordin or Sieb. Leipzig lean towards a 4-2-2-2/4-3-3 with assertive pressing, high full-backs (Raum/Baku) and sharp diagonal runs from the wide forwards. It’s Mainz’s duels and set-plays versus Leipzig’s territory game and rotations between the lines.

Mainz

Out/likely out: Jonathan Burkardt (heel), Maxim Dal (cruciate), Niklas Tauer (cruciate), Jae-sung Lee (thigh) — late check if included. Suspended: Paul Nebel. Likely roles: Zentner in goal; Caci and Widmer provide width; Amiri to knit counters with Kawasaki/Sano; new arrivals Hollerbach and Bøving add legs around a focal point like Weiper or Sieb.

RB Leipzig

Out/likely out: Amadou Haidara (muscle), Benjamin Henrichs (Achilles), Lukas Klostermann (knock), Tidiam Gomis (knock). Doubtful: Ezechiel Banzuzi (metacarpus). Likely roles: Vandevoordt starts; Orbán–Lukeba anchor; Raum pushes high with Baku/Nedeljković the opposite thrust; Schlager and Seiwald control the middle; in attack Leipzig can pair Bakayoko with Werner or new boy Conrad Harder, with Nusa offering pace off the bench.

Mainz (last 10, all comps): 3–4–3, goals 16 for and 14 against (1.6 scored / 1.4 conceded per match). One clean sheet in that run. They’ve been lively going forward, but matches often open up — seven of the ten saw both teams score.

Leipzig (last 10, all comps): 6–2–2, goals 20 for and 10 against (2.0 scored / 1.0 conceded). Four clean sheets. They’re pressing well and finishing strongly late on.

Trendlines: Mainz lean on set-pieces and quick breaks; Leipzig’s rest defence has tightened, but they still commit bodies forward — space could appear behind the full-backs if Mainz break the first press.

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Mainz at home (recent trend): sturdy in duels with decent set-piece output. When they score first, the press becomes awkward to play through; when they chase, gaps appear between the lines.

Leipzig away (recent trend): confident in possession with lots of territory; the threat comes from quick switches to the wide forwards and cut-backs. Leave room in behind them and you can counter, but you must be precise.

Note: early-season sample sizes are small; tendencies draw on the rolling 10-game picture across competitions.

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Mainz – Nadiem Amiri: the creative spark who links transitions and dead balls. If Mainz land a punch, he’s usually involved in the pass before the shot.

Leipzig – Johan Bakayoko: direct runner off the right who can go both ways. His one-v-one threat plus cut-backs into the six-yard area are a constant problem.

Mainz 1–2 Leipzig. Mainz will have spells, particularly from restarts, but Leipzig’s press and quality in wide areas should tilt the balance. Late squad depth off the bench (Nusa/Werner) can finish the job.

Main pick: Leipzig to win. They’re in the stronger rhythm and concede fewer chances on average.

Value angle: Both Teams To Score – Yes. Mainz’s last ten have seen frequent goal-trades and their set-plays can trouble anyone.