Union Berlin vs Mainz 05 03/10/20

03 October 2020

The two teams that have yet to pick up a Bundesliga win this season will face off against each other at the Stadion An der Alten Försterei as Union Berlin take on Mainz 05.

Winless after the opening two rounds of the Bundesliga fixtures (D1, L1), the hosts take on a side they’ve avoided defeat against in both of their only previous top-flight H2Hs (W1, D1). Curiously, both of those H2H clashes have seen both teams find the back of the net, which has been the case in Union Berlin’s first two league games of the season. But, ‘Die Eisernen’ have endured mixed fortunes at home this calendar year, picking up just three wins from nine Bundesliga home outings (W3, D3, L3). Yet, Urs Fischer’s men have been quite regular on the scoresheet during that period, scoring at least once in all but one of those nine matches and netting over 1.5 goals per game four times in the process.

On the other hand, the visitors have lost both of their opening league matches, both of which saw over 3.5 goals and both teams on the scoresheet. Interestingly, both of Mainz’s Bundesliga goals scored so far this term have come inside the opening 15 minutes of either half. Also, just two of Mainz’s nine Bundesliga trips since the calendar flipped have ended in a draw (W3, D2, L4), with all but one of those wins and defeats in this period finishing via at least a two-goal margin. Curiously, though, ‘Die Nullfünfer’ have been first goal-scorers in five of those nine trips, finding the opening goal in the first half of play on all five occasions.