Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Predictions, Lineups & Betting Tips

Match Details: January 24, 2026 | MEWA ARENA | Bundesliga | 14:30 GMT

Relegation threatened Mainz play host to Wolfsburg in a Bundesliga clash that promises goals, and lots of them, with both sides finding their shooting boots recently and the hosts having a torrid time defensively. The home side have started to see signs of improvement recently, dragging themselves off the bottom of the table by goal difference and starting to dream of survival, but they will need to up their game even more if they want to catch the pack ahead. The visitors, meanwhile, have risen to 12th in the last couple of weeks, which is still lower than they'd like to be, but their confidence will still probably be low after their absolute thumping at the hands of Bayern.

Key Betting Tips: BTTS @ 1.62 odds on Coral, 1.57 odds on BoyleSports or 1.55 odds on Kwiff all represent good value based on the tip provided by Football Park's advanced algorithm.

There have been plenty of goals in the recent outings of both sides, especially Wolfsburg who have been particularly vulnerable at the back, so the likelihood of seeing both sides find the net is pretty high in this one.

Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Predicted Lineups

Mainz 05 Predicted XI (3-1-4-2): Daniel Batz; Kacper Potulski, Stefan Bell, Dominik Kohr; Kaishu Sano; Silvan Widmer, Jae-sung Lee, Paul Nebel, Danny da Costa; Phillip Tietz, Silas

Mainz are rife with injuries ruling players out for this game, with a potential total of nine players missing from action. Three of those absent are through illness, namely Benedict Hollerbach, Nadiem Amiri and Nelson Weiper. Of the remaining players missing, five are anticipated to return this month, those being Andreas Hanche-Olsen, Anthony Caci, Phillipp Mwene, Robin Zentner and Maxim Dal, while Nikolas Veratschnig should be back in about a month's time.

VFL Wolfsburg Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Kamil Grabara; Aaron Zehnter, Konstantinos Koulierakis, Moritz Jenz, Jan Bürger; Vinícius Souza, Yannick Gerhardt; Patrick Wimmer, Lovro Majer, Christian Eriksen; Mohamed Amoura

Illness has also struck the Wolfsburg squad, and they will be without Jenson Seelt and Mattias Svanberg as a result. Maximilian Arnold is sidelined as a result of his suspension for accumulating too many yellow cards, while Jonas Wind, Joakim Mæhle and Rogério are due to return this month. Dženan Pejčinović should be back in another few weeks, and there is a lot of uncertainty regarding the return date of Bence Dárdai.

Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Current League Standings

The hosts have had a woeful start to the season, especially taking into consideration their sixth place finish last season. They are currently down in 17th in the relegation zone and four points away from safety, so even though the gap isn't impossible, it's going to take a real turnaround very quickly from Mainz to start feeling comfortable again. They've picked up points a bit more regularly lately, mostly through draws, so if they can find a little bit extra to turn one point into three going forward then they should be able to scrape themselves to safety. It's worth mentioning their injury crisis in all fairness, but there's no time to feel sorry for yourself at the bottom of the Bundesliga; things need to improve and fast.

Wolfsburg seem to have settled into mid-table in the last few years, occupying 12th place going into this game having finished in the same position twice in the last four seasons. They're not a million miles clear of the relegation zone, with a gap of six points between them and 16th placed Heidenheim, but their safety shouldn't really be in too much doubt as it will take a long and sustained slump to fall down to that point. They've got the second-worst defensive record in the league, conceding 38 times in 18 matches, with Heidenheim having conceded just once more than that, but they've also scored 27 of their own in that time, making them one of the more entertaining sides to watch in Bundesliga for a neutral.

Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Head-to-Head Timeline

These two Bundesliga ever-presents have faced off plenty over the years, and it often ends up being quite an even affair, with more matches being drawn than either of them have won since 2010. 13 matches have ended on level terms in the last 16 years, though Wolfsburg still have the upper hand over their opponents in that time having earned 11 wins, to which Mainz have responded with just seven of their own. In the last 31 matches between the two, the hosts have won only 13% of them, so I wouldn't expect them to have much of a chance this time around.

Draws have prevailed in recent encounters, as three of the last five meetings have ended level, but we've certainly been treated to plenty of goals with a total of 19 scored in that time. Hopefully that's a sign of things to come this time around.

Recent Head-to-Head Results:

• August 31, 2025: VFL Wolfsburg 1-1 Mainz 05 (Bundesliga)
• April 19, 2025: Mainz 05 2-2 VFL Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)
• December 8, 2024: VFL Wolfsburg 4-3 Mainz 05 (Bundesliga)
• May 18, 2024: VFL Wolfsburg 1-3 Mainz 05 (Bundesliga)
• January 13, 2024: Mainz 05 1-1 VFL Wolfsburg (Bundesliga)

Mainz 05 and VFL Wolfsburg Recent Matches Analysis

Mainz 05 Last 5 Matches:

• Mainz 05 1-2 FC Köln (A) - Bundesliga
• Mainz 05 2-1 Heidenheim (H) - Bundesliga
• Mainz 05 2-2 Union Berlin (A) - Bundesliga
• Mainz 05 0-0 St. Pauli (H) - Bundesliga
• Mainz 05 2-0 Samsunspor (H) - UEFA Conference League

Mainz had almost hit a decent little run until Köln ruined their fun last time out, having gone on a six game run without a loss, though four of them had been draws. There's certainly signs of improvement, but only picking up one point each game isn't going to be enough to rescue them from the drop this season, so they need to be able to turn draws into wins going forward. They did pick up four points from two games against sides around them in the table, namely St. Pauli and Heidenheim, which were important results to help them in their fight to stay up. Seven scored and five conceded in their last five is a solid return that will be leaving Mainz fans hoping that maintaining such a record will see an improvement in results, but only time will tell.

VFL Wolfsburg Last 5 Matches:

• VFL Wolfsburg 1-1 Heidenheim (H) - Bundesliga
• VFL Wolfsburg 2-1 St. Pauli (H) - Bundesliga
• VFL Wolfsburg 1-8 Bayern Munich (A) - Bundesliga
• VFL Wolfsburg 3-4 Freiburg (H) - Bundesliga
• VFL Wolfsburg 3-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach (A) - Bundesliga

Wolfsburg's form lately could've looked fairly encouraging with two wins, two losses and a draw in their last five being an alright return for a mid-table side, but when you look at the actual results themselves, it's shocking. Losing 8-1 to Bayern was completely unprecedented, and meant that they had conceded an unfathomable 12 times in two games. Over their last five that total increases to 15 goals conceded, an average of three per game, while they've found the net themselves eight times. That would usually be a good record to maintain in front of goal, but is completely overshadowed by their embarrassing defensive displays. Either way, with a total of 23 goals from either team in their last five, it's clear that Wolfsburg games bring goals, so hopefully this one should be an entertaining affair.

Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Predictions

Our advanced algorithm analyses over 200 data points to generate these predictions with a 63.30% confidence in BTTS. The model factors in current form, head-to-head records, player availability, and tactical matchups.

Best Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Betting Tips

Football Park’s Best Bet: BTTS @ 1.62 odds on Coral - Neither side has really looked good enough to confidently back to win this game, but plenty of goals has been a regular occurance in the recent matches of both teams. In fact, there has only been one clean sheet in the combined last five fixtures of each side, so the chances of both of them scoring is high enough for this to be the best bet.

Key Players to Watch: Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg

Jae-sung Lee (Mainz 05): The South Korean international is able to utilise space in the final third excellently, with a phenomenal positional awareness that makes him a very difficult player to handle for opposing defences. Whenever he is involved in the play, it's usually in and around the opposition box crafting an opportunity to shoot through his movement, where he then enjoys troubling the keeper. The attacking midfielder has been in good form lately, registering three assists in his last five games, which highlights his importance in the final third for Mainz.

Mohammed Amoura (VFL Wolfsburg): Prolific from the wing but also able to play through the centre, Amoura's versatility up front and ability to use space across the backline makes him a dangerous opponent for any defence to face. Having netted six times in the Bundesliga this season, with a further two assists to his name, the Algerian international will hope to prove how much his side missed him while he was at AFCON.

Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg Match Facts

Broadcast Details: N/A

Referee: N/A

Stadium Information: Located in Mainz, in the West of Germany, the MEWA ARENA has a capacity of 34,000 and has been in use since 2011.

Mainz 05 vs VFL Wolfsburg: Final Prediction

Mainz 05 1-1 VFL Wolfsburg