Getting their quest for a first-ever DFB-Pokal triumph under way in the first round, Mainz 05 travel east to meet third-tier Erzgebirge Aue on Sunday.
The visitors kick off their Bundesliga campaign next weekend, while their hosts at Erzgebirgsstadion are already up and running in 3. Liga, following relegation last term.
Match preview
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After another impressive showing last season, Mainz return to competitive action this weekend, following a mixed bag of results during pre-season.
Though they won a controversial friendly against Newcastle United in Austria - a fixture which drew fierce opposition from some fans due to the Premier League club's current ownership - Die Nullfunfer have also been beaten by Besiktas and held at home by Athletic Club.
The 2009 DFB-Pokal semi-finalists had commenced their summer schedule with a comfortable victory over Regionalliga outfit Wormatia, and a cup win would now provide a timely morale boost ahead of the upcoming league campaign.
Eliminated in the last 16 by Bochum in their most recent attempt to reach a first final, Mainz are set to start Bundesliga proceedings against their cup conquerors next week, as they ultimately seek to surpass their eighth-placed finish of last term.
Head coach Bo Svensson has recruited Angers midfielder Angelo Fulgini and Danish forward Marcus Ingvartsen during the summer break, but defensive mainstay Moussa Niakhate is bound for the Premier League, following his move to Nottingham Forest. Nonetheless, the squad at Svensson's disposal should be more than a match for relatively modest opponents.
Erzgebirge finished 17th in the 2. Bundesliga last season, which saw them drop into the third division - a far cry from the club's days as a dominant force in East German football during the 1950s and 60s.
The Saxon side won the 1955 East German Cup and followed it up with four DDR-Oberliga titles in the same decade, participating in the European Cup on three occasions.
Following a series of friendlies in which they won three of four games, the Violets' current crop started their 2022-23 season with a 1-1 draw at Freiburg II last weekend.
One of 3. Liga's promotion favourites, Erzgebirge went in front early on, when Marvin Stefaniak converted a free kick awarded after their opponents were reduced to 10 men - just 32 seconds into the new campaign. However, they failed to hold on and conceded a second-half equaliser.
Timo Rost's men must quickly recover from such disappointment, though, as a particularly tough tie in the first round of the cup awaits.
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Team News
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With captain Moussa Niakhate having departed for pastures new, Angola international Anderson Lucoqui is instead set to feature on the left side of a back three for Mainz on Sunday.
Summer signing Marcus Ingvartsen - who recently made his transfer from Union Berlin permanent and penned a contract until 2025 - should start up front, with support potentially coming from another fresh face.
Having made 160 appearances for Angers since 2017, scoring 24 goals, Ivorian playmaker Angelo Fulgini is a strong contender to start in Aue.
Meanwhile, Erzgebirge's Philipp Riese was not part of the squad that drew with Freiburg II last time out and is expected to join the club's coaching staff.
The Violets' second-longest-serving player after goalkeeper Martin Mannel, Riese is one of several players to make way for new recruits in what will be a 28-man squad once the transfer window closes.
Recent arrival Boris Tashchy, who has joined the hosts until June 2023 after impressing on trial, could start up front. The Ukrainian forward, now returned from a spell in South Korea, has previously played for St Pauli, Duisburg and Stuttgart.
Erzgebirge Aue possible starting lineup:
Mannel; Barylla, Sorge, Burger, Rosenlocher; Danhof, Taffertshofer, Schikora; Stefaniak; Tashchy, Huth
Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:
Dahmen; Bell, Hack, Lucoqui; Kraft, Fernandes, Barreiro, Martin; Fulgini, Mizuta; Ingvartsen
We say: Erzgebirge Aue 0-2 Mainz 05
Though they lack match sharpness this early in the season, Mainz should have more than enough firepower to take care of business on Sunday. After tumbling the relegation trapdoor in May, their beleaguered hosts may take more time to recover.
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Top tip
Jonathan O'Shea
