Preview to the away match against Mainz 05

Team news: After his goal against Hoffenheim, Amos Pieper will not be able to prove his goal scoring ability once again against Mainz. The defender has an ankle problem and will therefore not be in the squad on Saturday. Felix Agu will also be unavailable due to injury, as well as Eduardo dos Santos Haesler, who is out with a knee injury.

Head coach Ole Werner on the opposition: “We know about the Mainz’s strengths. They are a team who play with intensity and are very good at winning second balls. We are expecting a hectic, hard-fought game and a lot of it will come down to the duels and physicality. Set pieces could also play a big part, as Mainz are very dangerous from them. Above all, for us it will be about controlling this type of game, standing up to it and bringing our own strengths.”

Previous meetings: There have been 31 meetings in the Bundesliga between SVW and FSV since Mainz were promoted in 2004. The record is a good one for Werder, having been victorious on 14 occasions, while Mainz have won 11 games and six have ended in a draw. Most recently, the hosts were able to add a win to their record when they won 2-0 at the wohninvest WESERSTADION.