Preview: Krieschow vs Mainz 05 - prediction, team news, lineups

Kicking off their competitive campaign, Mainz 05 will travel to take on fifth-tier Krieschow at their Sportpark in the first round of the DFB-Pokal on Sunday.

The hosts have struggled at the start of 2026-27, and Die Nullfunfer will head into the clash as overwhelming favourites.

Match preview

Robert Koch's Krieschow are appearing in the DFB-Pokal for the very first time this weekend, and the occasion will be a special one for everyone involved with the club.

As an example of what this match means, around 50 volunteers worked to install temporary stands at the Sportpark, raising the ground's capacity from 250 to 4,000 in order to meet the standards required to host this game and avoid a venue change.

Krieschow qualified for the first round by reaching the Brandenburg Cup final, where they beat Energie Cottbus 2-1 on May 23 to lift the trophy - another first.

However, while the excitement around Sunday's contest has taken over the local area, Koch's men will kick off as the underdogs, not only due to their fifth-tier status, but also their lacklustre start to this season.

Kreischow have begun their 2026-27 league campaign with back-to-back defeats, losing 3-1 against Sandersdorf on August 9, before being downed 1-0 by Meuselwitz last time out.

To make matters worse, the hosts have only triumphed in one of their past five home outings, losing twice, drawing twice, and failing to score more than once in any match across that stretch.

Meanwhile, Urs Fischer transformed Mainz's fortunes after taking the reins back in December 2025, and following an excellent pre-season, the manager will be hoping to make a strong start to 2026-27.

Die Nullfunfer went unbeaten throughout this summer's friendly schedule, winning seven times and drawing once - 3-3 against Udinese on August 1.

Fischer's side kicked off their pre-season with a remarkable 11-0 victory over Pfeddersheim, and followed that up with a 10-0 win against Eisbachtal, showing no mercy as they racked up the goals.

However, Mainz's 4-0 thrashing of Ligue 1's Paris FC on August 8 and 2-1 beating of Premier League club Bournemouth last time out will go down as their most impressive feats, and those results are sure to give fans a confidence boost ahead of the new campaign.

Bolstering that feeling of optimism further is the fact that Die Nullfunfer found the back of the net at least three times in six of their eight preparatory friendlies, and Sunday's DFB-Pokal showdown against fifth-tier opposition will likely be another high-scoring day out.

The visitors have also tasted defeat in just one of their last 12 away matches, and anything other than progression to the second round will go down as a major upset.

Krieschow form (all competitions):

Mainz 05 friendlies form:

Team News

Krieschow had centre-back Victor Habermann sent off in their most recent league match, but considering that the suspension does not carry over into the DFB-Pokal, he looks set to start alongside Alexander Bittroff at the heart of the defence.

In midfield, Koch may opt for a pairing of Paul Pahlow and Colin Raak in the centre of the park, with Toby Michalski and Luis Burger starting out wide.

Elsewhere, Andy Hebler could return to the XI for Sunday's contest, forming a strike partnership with Miguel Pereira Rodrigues that will need to make the most of its limited chances if the hosts are to have any chance of progressing.

As for Mainz, they are missing Paul Nebel due to a groin injury, as well as fellow midfielder Eric Martel, who is sidelined with a knee issue once again.

In their absence, Fischer could continue with Kaishu Sano in the number six role, flanked by wing-backs Anthony Caci and Phillipp Mwene, while Nadiem Amiri and Sheraldo Becker operate in more attacking midfield roles.

Further forward, strikers Silas and Benedict Hollerbach are recovering from a broken ankle and Achilles injury respectively, so expect to see Phillip Tietz joined up top by Lee Jae-sung.

Krieschow possible starting lineup:

Fietz; Gerstmann, Bittroff, Habermann, Dressler; Michalski, Pahlow, Raak, Burger; Hebler, Pereira Rodrigues

Mainz 05 possible starting lineup:

Zentner; Kohr, Gruber, Costa; Caci, Sano, Mwene; Becker, Amiri; Tietz, Lee

We say: Krieschow 1-3 Mainz 05

Krieschow will be raring to go on what will be a special occasion for the fifth-tier club, but even keeping the scoreline competitive would be seen as a commendable outcome, given the level of opposition they are set to face.

Mainz have been impressive in pre-season, and considering their goalscoring record this summer, they should have more than enough firepower to progress on Sunday, even if they concede on the road.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.